WHEREAS changes to the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program, as it applies to emergency vehicles, require that commercial inspections of vehicles be held every 12 months regardless of the level or frequency of use;AND WHEREAS the program requires that emergency vehicles be brought into the licensed facility rather than allowing the approved mechanic to attend to the inspection at the fire hall where the vehicle is housed;AND WHEREAS these requirements create a situation where fire trucks, rescue vans, fast response vehicles and tankers are out of service for at least 24 hours to facilitate a one- to two-hour commercial vehicle inspection;AND WHEREAS these requirements duplicate and/or interfere with a municipalitys regular maintenance schedule, causing an increase in the need for manpower and equipment;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program be modified to allow for a commercial vehicle inspection to be completed on emergency vehicles after 5,000 kilometres or 36 months, whichever comes first.

It is not uncommon for rural fire departments to have a collection of specialized vehicles that are used on an irregular basis. Municipalities usually manage their fleets on a set maintenance schedule. Maintenance schedules are set using factors that include type of use, frequency of use, frequency of multi-operator scenarios and terrains in which equipment and vehicles are operating. Some emergency vehicles in the M.D. of Willow Creek are in excess of 20 years old and have as little as 10,000 kilometres on the odometer. To bring in that piece of equipment every 12 months to have a CVIP after what could be as little as 100 kilometres of travel takes it out of service thereby interfering with its availability. The impact of this change to the CVIP program adds 27 vehicles to the program in the M.D. of Willow Creek alone. Can the cost justify the program in cases where an inspection every 5,000 kilometres or 36 months would not jeopardize safety?

The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this issue.

The AAMDC continues to urge the provincial government to alter CVIP requirements for emergency vehicles.