To the Chairman and Members of the Fire & Building Committee

Gentlemen:

Included in the general information and operation report and the attendance report for 1962 is a complete breakdown of the Department's activities with the exception of one arson investigation and Court hearing during August.

Item No. 1 for 1962 was the signing of coverage area contracts for a total of $2,800.00. The coverage area in Muskoka Township extends slightly over our maximum allowable travel distance of 5 miles under the Standard of Municipal Fire Protection. It must be mentioned here for the record, although our most difficult travel area during unfavourable weather conditions are off Number 11 highway and cover the more critical area, because of the type of occupancy and number of people involved, for example, the Ontario Hospital, Muskoka Sands Inn, Beaver Creek Correctional Camp. Also for the records, is the 1962 insurance premium reduction to Muskoka Township within our travel area. Although the contract to Muskoka Township was increased to $2,000.00 for stand-by and 10 calls maximum, the residents in this area received a reduction of insurance premiums from .95¢ to .58¢ on frame buildings, or a reduction of .37¢ per $100.00 still .05¢ above Bracebridge coverage rates. Commercial and industrial insurance premium rates remain the same within the Town of Gravenhurst and the Township of Muskoka coverage area, due to the absence of a municipally housed second pumper.

Item No. 2 was the successful Christmas Tree burning out of the old year, to bring in the 75th Anniversary of the Town of Gravenhurst which was organized by Mayor Simmons and carried out by the Fire Department after many hours of gathering Christmas Trees. This short ceremony brought many favourable remarks from the public and prompted a 1963 Twelfth Night celebration.

Item No. 3 was the opening of the Segwun Museum, once again organized by Mayor Simmons, and also once again assisted by the Fire Department, and this public affair also received many favourable accommodations including a letter to the Fire Department for its success in this event.

Item No. 4 was the October Fire Prevention Week, which was run on a District wide basis with Gravenhurst students receiving 9 of the 12 awards for Fire Prevention Posters. The winners and their parents were entertained for an evening at FernVale Pool with refreshments and lunch for everyone.

Item No. 5 was the completion of a special driver-pumper operators training course which was held during the summer evenings at the Ontario Fire College on the College Pumpers.

Points of interest and planning 1963 consideration are as follows:

Item No. 1 to increase the efficiency of our coverage and the importance of being in contact with our Fire Station while out on a call at all times, it may be possible to have the Township share the costs of radio communications with the Town of Gravenhurst, plus the 30% Provincial Federal Grant. Also some ground work on the cost of sharing a second pumper to reduce the commercial and industrial rates both in the Town and Township,on the same basis as we are sharing protection, which is maintained, serviced and manned by the Town of Gravenhurst at a much higher per capita cost to Gravenhurst residents than to Township residents.

Item No. 2 could be to extend our coverage area 1-1/2 miles further south on No. 11 Highway only to the eleven businesses on either side of the highway as far south as Morrisons Garage, to reduce the costs further by $500.00. This short section very seldom has a fire emergency and may possibly acquire sufficient insurance premium reductions in their rates to more than off-set the cost of fire protection with a legal contract and travel distance of 3-1/2 miles from the fire hall.

Item No. 3 to have the entire council support Fire Prevention Week through the many mediums available and assist their Fire Department in making this effort a huge success.

Item No. 4 that Twelfth Night being a municipal ceremony, that we start planning in early fall with the support of the council to set aside reasonable funds and have municipal trucks available as in other municipalities, to gather trees and remove the debris, and to include all religious and other groups as has already been suggested by the Church and to inject every possible idea to make this occasion a memorable one.

S.R. Mathias

Fire Chief