Firefighters might not have to go to Kawartha or Huntsville to get their D class license.
Algonquin Highlands Fire Chief Mike Cavanaugh asked the municipal council for support in the department becoming a driver certification partner.
Cavanaugh explained that the Ministry of Transportation is expanding their driver certification program and he was hopeful to apply to join that program. If selected to the program firefighters in Haliburton County would no longer have to go into City of Kawartha Lakes or Huntsville to be recertified. As well whenever a fighter has to recertify they need to take a truck to the DriveTest centre meaning that is one less truck in the area if the need arises.
According to Chief Cavanaugh, entering into this program will impact local firefighters in the sense it will help them be trained and certified to MTO standards more easily.
If they are approved by the MTO, Cavanaugh says the instructors selected would be taken right from their pool of firefighters already certified as training officers.
Cavanaugh says once they apply, they will need to be audited before they are approved to start training.