Neighbouring emergency services to cover Innisfil and area during funeral of 2 police officers

Neighbouring fire departments and provincial police will be stepping in to ensure services are not interrupted for residents in Innisfil and Bradford West, while many attend the funeral for two officers killed on the job.

The private funeral for Const. Morgan Russell, 54, and Const. Devon Northrup, 33, will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Sadlon Arena at 555 Bayview Dr., Barrie.

The neighbouring fire services from Barrie, New Tecumseth, Essa, and Wasaga Beach will provide coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Firefighters and trucks from each of these fire departments will be onsite at the stations in South Simcoe to ensure timely response in the case of an emergency.

Staff say there is no change to how residents request assistance – dial 911.

“We want to thank the fire departments from these neighbouring communities for making themselves available to support us,” says Brent Thomas, fire chief for the towns of Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury.

“This is truly an example of emergency services personnel coming together, not just to ensure public safety, but to support each other in this extremely difficult time.”

Ontario Provincial Police are also filling in to allow South Simcoe police to attend the funeral.

OPP are providing front-line services to the South Simcoe police region from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21 during the visitations and funeral service.

Both the South Simcoe police North Division and South Division buildings, including the Collision Reporting Centres, will be closed to the public during this time, but OPP will be present at both locations.

Constables Russell and Northrup died after responding to a call about a disturbance in Innisfil on the night of Oct. 11.

The Special Investigations Unit, which is investigating the shooting, specified Friday that a 22-year-old man at a home shot the two officers, who died in hospital.