The Godmanchester and Hinchinbrooke volunteer fire departments responded to a house fire in Constable, New York, on January 14. The call for backup came in after 8 p.m., over two hours after the closest border crossing at Trout River was closed for the night.
This was the first deployment of the cross-border mutual aid network since drastic reductions in operation hours at the Trout River and Herdman ports of entry came into force on January 6.
Hinchinbrooke fire chief Michael Krause confirms this was the first opportunity for area firefighters to cross the border after it was closed. “Everything went swimmingly. Everybody was very accommodating, and it was seamless,” he says.
Representatives from the Canadian and American fire departments met late last year with individuals from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Chateaugay port of entry, to discuss mutual aid arrangements and to ensure everyone was on the same page. “The communication has been great, and right from the start” says Krause, noting border officials “will bend over backward to make sure that we have access in the off hours.”
The CBSA confirms that memorandums of understanding are in place to allow Canadian and American emergency services to cross the border outside of service hours.
Currently, border agents are still present at the crossing points after hours; but as this changes, Krause says the emergency dispatcher will communicate with an open border crossing, such as Fort Covington. The firefighters responding to a fire call will be vetted ahead of time and will be able to cross at the closed port without delay.
Krause says that while plans to install permanent gates are public knowledge, the fire departments have not been told how the structures will open.
CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel says that while infrastructure restricting border access outside of operational hours differs from one border crossing to another, the protocols in place consider the type of installations (such as manual or electronically controlled gates) to allow access for emergency services when no officer is on site.
Martel notes that such protocols apply only in response to emergency situations. Emergency vehicles will be required to report to an open port of entry for any other reason, including meetings, practices, or participation in public events.
Martel refused to provide any specific details on emergency procedures in place at the Herdman or Trout River stations, for security reasons. She explained that for similar reasons, the CBSA was also unable to speculate on future infrastructure changes at the local ports of entry.
An important service
Krause says the Hinchinbrooke and Godmanchester fire departments were not part of the first call to the Constable house fire. “They brought in an apparatus to the fire scene that was going to need a lot of water. They called in some extras, and that was us,” he said, noting the Hinchinbrooke truck emptied a full load of water before returning home. Krause says calls from across the border are often for water support, but local fire departments also provide standby services.
In a rural context, Krause says the cross-border mutual aid network is crucial for fighting large fires. “It is something that has been nurtured over decades. It’s not going anywhere just yet,” he confirms.
Constable fire chief Chris Bouissey echoes this sentiment, while noting the significance of the long-standing history between mutual aid partners. He says the policies in place are being adjusted as needed to accommodate border crossings for emergency services.
“We are grateful that we have a strong working relationship with both Godmanchester and Hinchinbrooke and are thankful for their response,” says Bouissey.