East River Fire Department takes over service for Mount Stewart

The East River Fire department is taking over fire services for the community of Mount Stewart, P.E.I.

The official request from the Mount Stewart council came in on Monday night, said Albert MacDonald, president of the board of the East River Fire Department.

Seamless transition

Council informed the board in an email of the decision to disband their own department.

"The key point is that ... because we have a mutual-aid agreement, we've been largely going to all of their calls with them for the past number of years," he said. The transition will be fairly seamless, he said.

We think we have a very good fire department and we have great volunteers and an excellent chief and we think we're capable of providing a good service to Mount Stewart.— Albert MacDonald

Over the last couple of months, East River has taken over the calls for Mount Stewart on a temporary basis, MacDonald said.

East River services about 1,100 of its own residents and taking on service in Mount Stewart will only add 200 more, MacDonald said.

"We think we have a very good fire department and we have great volunteers and an excellent chief and we think we're capable of providing a good service to Mount Stewart and to our own residents," he said.

While Mount Stewart is now covered by the East River department, the two communities will still have to work out the specific details of a long-term arrangement, MacDonald said.

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