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Fire stations proposed as youth 'safe havens' as Cape Breton grapples with bullying

When there's a fire at your house, the local fire department races to you.

But a Cape Breton fire chief is now turning that idea on its head, proposing that young people could race to their local fire station to seek refuge in a crisis.

"If they come to our door and say, 'Somebody's chasing me, somebody's bullying me, I had to get out of my house,' then you can come here, and we can call the appropriate agency," said North Sydney's fire chief, Lloyd MacIntosh.

"It's a short-term fix to an immediate problem."

Public meetings about crisis

​MacIntosh's offer comes as people in Cape Breton are grieving the suicides of three middle-school students since November. A youth mental expert is on the island this week, speaking with bereaved families and young people.

There has been a series of public meetings to talk about bullying, and its impact on teens, mental health and suicide.

MacIntosh attended a community meeting in North Sydney Monday night, at a hall directly across from the fire station.

"There were a lot of touching stories. I didn't realize that bullying was as bad in the community as it was. We just want to do our part," he told CBC Wednesday.

'We need more outlets'

The organizer of Monday's meeting urged people and organizations in the community to help young people feel safe.

"We want our children to know there are safe havens to go to," Shaelene Lafosse told the crowd.

She said those havens could include fire stations, an MLA's office or churches.

"Regardless of your faith or if you believe at all, if you go into a church and ask for help, you are not going to be turned away," she said.

"We need more outlets, we need volunteers. And we really need to step up and protect our children."

Around-the-clock staffing

MacIntosh said the fire department makes sense because it's staffed 24 hours a day.

"We could take them in our care, call 911 if we have to, for police or an ambulance if they needed it. And maybe it's a matter of calling some parents, and getting parents to pick some kids up," he said.