In times of great need, communities right across Cochrane District have each other’s back.
Timmins fire chief Tom Laughren says a mutual aid agreement that goes back to the 1960s allows one town to call on others for help, in the event of a major fire or other emergency.
“If a municipality has a large emergency that they may not be able to deal with on their own or require some support,” says the chief, “then there’s an agreement in the Cochrane District between from Timmins to Matheson down to Hearst that we work together to be able to accomplish that.”
“If we needed extra equipment for whatever that emergency might be, it works both ways, right?” Laughren observes. “They could come in or we could go out.”
Timmins council this week approved being part of the agreement for another five years.
Laughren says it’s neighbours helping neighbours.