Elgin chief steps up call for cell service in Albert County

A fire chief in rural Albert County iscontinuing to lobby the province for help getting reliable cellphone coverage in the area, and is now pressing Bell Canada to expand one of its towers.

Kent Steeves, chief of the Elgin Fire Department, said the government has not been responsive but he hasn't given up hope it will help cover some of the costs of bringing cellphone service to this part of southeastern New Brunswick.

Steevessaid emergency crews and the people they're trying to help are at a disadvantage because service is spotty or non-existent.

"It's extremely frustrating and disheartening when you don't know sometimes where to start and what the best options are to go and getting that person," he said.

• Dicey 911 service pushes Elgin fire chief to call for cell tower
• Volunteer firefighters not impressed when 911 call goes dead
• Response time questioned after fire rips through Elsipogtog apartment building

If someone were bleeding after a chainsaw accident or fell over a cliff at Gordon Falls, help wouldn't necessarily be fast.

"Those give us more opportunities to get there quicker and get the resources there faster," Steeves said of cellphones.

"We have absolutely no cell service. You might hit the odd pocket here and there, but very seldom do you ever get anything more than a bar and very seldom do you get that."

The fire chief said he has been talking to Bell Canada about building onto a tower near Boyd Mountain.

Isabelle Boulet,a spokesperson with Bell Aliant, said the company doesn't haveany announcements to make right now about enhanced service in Albert County.

A need for cell service

In the spring, a petition calling on the province to take an interest in the problem gathered300 signatures. The province has also received 30 letters from businesses, including Irving Woodlands and Corridor Resources.

"We keep lobbying the government and asking them to consider the livelihood and the lives and well-being of their constituents that live in our area," Steeves said.

"We've seen a lot of money promised and spent in many different areas. [I'm] not saying that all those areas are not important, but many of them certainly don't save lives."

CBC News asked the province to respond but has not heard back.

'A different animal'

Steeves said the lack of cell service could even put firefighters at risk responding to car crashes, especially those involving electric and hybrid vehicles.

If they had cell service, they could use their iPhones and iPads in the fire truck to determine what lines to cut in a hybrid vehicle.

"If we cut into the main power supply of those vehicles, it's 400 volts, or how to extinguish those batteries is a different animal now than what we have with the conventional vehicles now," he said.

The fire chief would notrevealhow much it would cost to add to a cell tower but said it would belower thanthecost of afire truck, which can range from$150,000 to $1 million.

Going the distance

The Elgin area has many people working in the woods for forestry companies and is also popular withoutdoor enthusiasts, he said.

But in emergencies where details are vague, volunteers with the Elgin Fire Department often have to call on surrounding first responders to help, he said.

People have had to drive long distances to knock on someone's house to get a landline or have come into the four corners of the community to reach someone at the fire department or use a pay phone.

Little to work with

"Usually, that has added a fair amount of time to those rescues," Steeves said.

Calls have come into 911 with one bar, and the last thing the operator heard was "we can see the windmills from here."

Thatcovers a large territory, so Salisbury, Petitcodiac, Riverviewhave also had to respond so the area can be narrowed down.

"That's a big area to work off of."