By Thomas Smith

Minden may be better protected from fires by the end of the year.

Minden Hills Fire Department and Bracebridge Fire Department have a special relationship. With Bracebridge Fire Department’s Station #2 located within a half hour of Minden, it makes perfect sense for the fire departments to come to each other’s aid in a time of dire crisis.

With only a handshake agreement, Minden Hills Fire Chief Don Kruger, is working on making that agreement official.

As part of Minden Hills’ Fire Master Plan, Kruger met with Bracebridge Fire Department’s Fire Chief Kevin Plested in the summer.

“Conversations went well, I wrote a draft agreement and sent it to Chief Plested, he got back to me not that long ago,” said Kruger. “I am just waiting to hear how that went.”

With Plested’s agreement, Kruger hopes that the fire mutual aid agreement will bring peace of mind and better safety to both community members and our firefighters.

“If approved by both municipal councils the agreement would mean aid would be sent when requested, if possible,” said Kruger. “The agreement is for structure fires (more so on the Bracebridge side) and wildland fires (more so on the Minden Hills side).”

While Minden Hills has dedicated volunteer firefighters, Bracebridge has full-time staff and two stations, says Kruger. While both fire department’s apparatuses are similar, Bracebridge does have an aerial truck.

The communications between both fire departments have been going well.

“We both agreed that it could be helpful under certain circumstances, and neither side was looking for any money to change hands if it did,” he said.

Once the matter has been through Bracebridge’s council, an official mutual aid agreement will be drafted between the departments.

“As a Fire Service we are always looking to make things better and safer for the residents we protect and for the firefighters that do the work.”