Video – 15-Minute Delay by Cobourg Fire Department Responding to VSA

Pete Fisher
35 seconds ago
• Categories: Local

Today’s Northumberland has learned it took fire crews 15-minutes to respond to a person who was vital signs absent in Cobourg Trailer Park.

The incident happened shortly after 9 a.m. on October 27, 2025 when members of the Cobourg Fire Department were at another call for service.

Cobourg Fire Department along with all Northumberland County Fire Departments have their dispatch contracted by the Peterborough Fire Department.

At 9:22 a.m. the Cobourg Fire Department radioed to Peterborough Dispatch they received a call on the administration line of a possible gas leak on Ewart Street in Cobourg.

They notified Peterborough Dispatch they were attending with four firefighters with emergency lights and sirens activated.

Two-minutes later fire crews arrived on scene and at 9:30 .m. fire crews advised they had detected the smell of gas and asked Peterborough Dispatch to contact Enbridge.

At 9:37 a.m. tones went out advising Cobourg Fire Department of a person that is “VSA” (vital signs absent at the “Cobourg beach.”

The officer in charge at the scene on Ewart Street advised Peterborough Dispatch at 9:38 a.m. that a crew at the firehall would be responding to the VSA.

It’s standard protocol when a crew is dispatched to a emergency call for service that a Level 2 tone would go out notifying firefighters to attend the firehall in case of another emergency.

Peterborough Dispatch did not put out a Level 2 when they were notified fire crews were heading to a possible natural gas leak and the firehall was essentially empty of personal to respond to an emergency.

With no one at the firehall to attend the VSA it delayed a response by Cobourg Fire Department.

At 9:41 a.m., a second page goes out for Level 2 for a natural gas leak and a VSA patient.

Peterborough dispatches advises the officer on scene at the natural gas leak, “there is no available unit at the base at this time.”

“There is a unit there,” states the officer in charge at the gas leak.

“I’ll try to contact them again”

A minute later the officer on scene radios the firehall asking if they have personnel that can respond to the VSA.

Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Ashfield responds from the firehall, “it just got paged out – as soon as our first part timer gets here.”

Cobourg is staffed by full-time firefighters along with part-time firefighters who are called for assistance in emergencies.

The officer on scene of the gas leak then radios Peterborough Dispatch asking if the initial call for the gas leak went out Level 2.

Peterborough Dispatch states, “that’s negative as it was a two-way response we usually have that as a no response call.”

During the emergency, at no time were Cobourg Police or Cobourg Fire Department at the scene.

It wasn’t until 9:47 a.m. that a second ambulance arrived on scene to assist paramedics with the patient.

At 9:52 a.m. fire crews radio they are responding from Cobourg Firehall – 15-minutes after being notified of the VSA at the campground.

At 9:53 a.m. paramedics rushed the patient to Northumberland Hills Hospital with emergency lights and sirens.

And finally at 9:54 a.m. Peterborough Dispatch advises Cobourg Fire they are no longer required on scene.

There is no word on the condition of the patient.

On September 21, 2025, the wrong fire department was initially sent by Peterborough Dispatch to a medical call where a police officer had been overcome with the effects of Fentanyl. A Freedom of Information request indicated that there was a “incomplete address being recorded” by the dispatcher.