Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K.) promises lessons will be learned following a large fire at a homeless encampment in downtown Chatham.
R.O.C.K is funded by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to provide encampment and homelessness outreach and support along with harm reduction related to the opioid emergency response.
R.O.C.K. Executive Director Renee Geniole told CK News Today she will be having discussions to determine what service and safety improvements are needed to keep encampment dwellers safe.
Firefighters had to remove several propane tanks from the large encampment on Thames Street in Chatham during a fire Wednesday afternoon.
Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue (CKFR) said "diligent" efforts have been made by community partners to reduce the presence of combustibles in the area and that CK fire, CK police, and CK Housing Services were at the encampment a few weeks ago to make sure there was adequate space between the tents to prevent fire spreading.
Geniole said her community outreach group checks large encampments like the one on Thames Street almost daily to make sure everyone is safe, but admits more can be done.
Geniole said that her group is limited in what it can do to enforce safety because her members can't force their way into tents without permission.
She noted homeless people have rights like everyone else and her group has to walk a fine line.
"We will probably learn from this. What we will probably do is be more apt to have conversations with people and say hey, if you have [empty propane tanks] in a tent that you need to get rid of just give them to us and we'll take them away or if you need help we can get some municipal workers out there to help move them along," said Geniole. "There's been a few times that we've been there that there have been propane tanks around the campground and we've tried to help people collect them, especially if they're empty or close to empty, we want them away. Public Works has been down a few times to collect some of them."
Geniole suggested that the propane tanks were being used to heat the tents.
She noted smaller encampments across the municipality are checked less often, adding that her members work like peacekeepers to deal with the homeless in a non-confrontational way.
She said her group has a great working relationship with CK fire, CK police, and the municipality and doesn't need any more enforcement laws or bylaws because those measures just push people away.
"I'm grateful and would say no I don't want any more enforcement or bylaws because what those do for me is create barriers for the people we support," Geniole said.
Geniole noted this fire was the first big incident that R.O.C.K. has had to deal with in its five years of operation.