Communities benefit from funding for firefighting equipment, training

Press Release

Feb. 16, 2023

VICTORIA – More than 110 volunteer and composite fire departments throughout B.C. will receive their share of $6.3 million for equipment and training to bolster firefighting response to make people and communities safer.

“Many people across the province live in communities with fire services delivered by volunteer or part-volunteer fire departments, and they depend on those fire crews to keep them and their families safe when fires happen,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “These fire crews have different challenges than most fire departments, and this funding will go a long way by supporting them to purchase new or replacement equipment and deliver training to their volunteers and staff.”

Funding through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) will be distributed to 114 local governments, First Nations and volunteer and composite fire departments. Composite fire departments have a mix of paid staff and unpaid volunteers.

“Volunteer and composite fire departments are vital public safety partners in B.C.’s local and First Nations communities,” said Brian Godlonton, B.C.’s fire commissioner. “This funding for new equipment and training will support dedicated fire crews as they continue their important work in keeping communities safe.”

CEPF is a set of programs divided into several funding streams, including public notification and evacuation planning, emergency support services, and extreme heat risk mapping, assessment and planning.

Since 2017, First Nations and local governments have been approved for more than $111 million through CEPF for more than 1,300 projects that help communities mitigate and prepare for disasters and climate-related emergencies.

Quotes:

Jenny Freeman, emergency management co-ordinator, Tla’amin Nation –

“Our Tla’amin Nation Fire Department provides a vital service to our community. We are grateful for the commitment to public service that they demonstrate every day by stepping up to keep people safe. This grant will enable us to support them in their ongoing training and response capacity, by providing access to the firefighting resources they need. As a Modern Treaty Nation, we are committed to building equitable partnerships with the Province and our local Regional District Emergency Services, and look forward to future fire services collaboration.”

Jayme Kennedy, board chair, Central Coast Regional District –

“The Central Coast Regional District is extremely grateful for the grant funding provided to our volunteer fire departments through the Province’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. Our volunteer fire departments are critical to the resilience, safety and sustainability of our communities. With the funding we have received, our departments can undertake critical upgrades to personal safety and firefighting equipment. We value our volunteer firefighters and are very pleased that they, and the communities they serve, will benefit from this funding.”

Andrew Hory, board chair, Mount Waddington Regional District –

“The Regional District of Mount Waddington is very appreciative of the opportunities that will be presented to our volunteer fire departments given the successful outcome of our CEPF application. For small rural fire departments, the ever-increasing expectations regarding emergency response services is a challenge when serving communities with a small tax base. The funding will go immediately toward meeting training and equipment needs that might have taken an extra year or two with normal resources.

Learn More:

For more information about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, visit the Union of BC Municipalities’ website: https://www.ubcm.ca/funding-programs/local-government-program-services/community-emergency-preparedness-fund

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Media Relations
250 880-6430

BACKGROUNDER

Community Emergency Preparedness Fund recipients

The CEPF is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and funds projects that strengthen the resilience of local governments and First Nations in responding to and preparing for natural disasters and climate change.

Volunteer and composite fire departments, local governments and First Nations throughout British Columbia will receive more than $6.3 million from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund as follows:

100 Mile House – Sprinkler protection unit
Approved funding: $29,960

Adams Lake Indian Band – 911 communications enhancement
Approved funding: $29,748.61

Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District – Equipment: Beaver Creek Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), Bamfield VFD
Approved funding: $77,022

Alert Bay – Volunteer firefighters gear and training
Approved funding: $30,000

Armstrong – Replacement turnout gear
Approved funding: $30,000

Ashcroft – Minimum training standards compliance
Approved funding: $30,000

Atlin Community Improvement District – Acquisition of turn-out gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) air cylinders
Approved funding: $29,950

Birken Fire Protection Society – Accredited certification project
Approved funding: $30,000

Blue River Improvement District – Training/equipment grant
Approved funding: $30,000

Bralorne Fire Protection Assoc. – Equipment upgrades
Approved funding: $30,000

Bulkley-Nechako Regional District – Training and equipment
Approved funding: $99,582

Canal Flats – Personal protective equipment and training hardware update
Approved funding: $29,927.10

Capital Regional District – Training and equipment project
Approved funding: $178,598.50

Central Coast Regional District – Resilience and capacity enhancement for the Bella Coola and Hagensborg VFDs
Approved funding: $59,643

Central Kootenay Regional District – Fire service training
Approved funding: $480,000

Central Okanagan Regional District – Joe Rich Fire Rescue and North Westside Fire Rescue fire training and equipment
Approved funding: $57,600

Central Saanich – Forcible entry door trainer
Approved funding: $12,500

Chase – Building Chase Fire Department response capacity – SCBA Packs
Approved funding: $27,833.08

Cherry Creek Improvement District – SCBA air filling station
Approved funding: $30,000

Chimney and Felker Lakes Volunteer Fire Department – Wildland fire training and equipment upgrade
Approved funding: $29,981.43

Clearwater – Fire equipment and training props
Approved funding: $29,988.96

Clinton – Clinton VFD
Approved funding: $29,820

Columbia Shuswap Regional District – Regional Fire Services in-house training facilities and personal protective equipment
Approved funding: $389,750

Colwood – Digital fire training system
Approved funding: $30,000

Comox Valley Regional District – Fire Departments
Approved funding: $188,421

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band – Fire Department
Approved funding: $30,000

Cortes Island Fire Fighting Association – Equipment: SCBA purchase
Approved funding: $30,000

Cowichan Tribes – Wildfire personal protective equipment
Approved funding: $30,000

Cranberry Improvement District – Phase 1 structural protection unit
Approved funding: $30,000

Creston – Canyon-Lister FD Type 3 structural protection unit upgrade
Approved funding: $30,000

Cumberland – Training facility for exterior firefighting 1011 (Phase 1)
Approved funding: $30,000

Daajing Giids – Equipment and training upgrade
Approved funding: $29,878.15

Deep Bay Improvement District – Equipment and training
Approved funding: $27,052

East Kootenay Regional District – Fire Services equipment upgrades
Approved funding: $232,342

Enderby – Structural and wildland interface firefighting equipment
Approved funding: $30,000

Erris Volunteer Fire Association – Purchase of firefighting equipment, training prop and training
Approved funding: $30,000

Fort St. James – Equipment and PPE acquisition
Approved funding: $29,610

Fraser Lake – Volunteer Fire Rescue equipment upgrade
Approved funding: $30,000

Fraser Valley Regional District – Electoral Area Fire Departments
Approved funding: $208,980

Fraser-Fort George Regional District – VFD Emergency Response Equipment Improvement Project
Approved funding: $390,000

Gabriola Island Fire Protection District – Structure Protection Unit purchase and training
Approved funding: $29,235

Gillies Bay Improvement District – Meeting standards
Approved funding: $24,426.22

Golden Volunteer Firefighters Assoc. – Forced entry and rapid intervention team training door
Approved funding: $15,000

Granisle – Training and equipment upgrade
Approved funding: $30,000

Gun Lake Fire Protection Society – Communications system upgrade
Approved funding: $30,000

Horsefly Volunteer Fire Department – Program for B.C. structure firefighter minimum training standards
Approved funding: $29,393

Houston – Professional development and equipment
Approved funding: $26,248.73

Invermere – Fire Rescue – structure protection unit
Approved funding: $29,992.99

Kent – Regional: Fire Training Centre
Approved funding: $180,000

Kootenay-Boundary Regional District – Training and equipment project
Approved funding: $119,320.37

Lake Country – Portable radio safety compliance upgrade
Approved funding: $30,000

Lake Cowichan – Interface firefighting equipment and PPE gear
Approved funding: $30,000

Lantzville – Structural firefighter thermal imaging camera
Approved funding: $27,797.46

Logan Lake – Structural protection unit
Approved funding: $29,550

Masset – Equipment upgrade
Approved funding: $19,218.86

Mayne Island Improvement District – Forcible entry training program
Approved funding: $24,989.44

McLeese Lake Volunteer Fire Department – Fire protection
Approved funding: $23,076

Metchosin – Hose and equipment replacement project
Approved funding: $30,000

Midway – Equipment acquisition project
Approved funding: $30,000

Mount Waddington Regional District – VFDs training and equipment enhancement project
Approved funding: $119,305.96

Mountain Fire Protection District – Replacement PPE for East Wellington Fire Department
Approved funding: $30,000

Nakusp – VFD resiliency enhancement
Approved funding: $30,000

New Hazelton – Gear upgrades
Approved funding:  $25,000

North Cedar Improvement District – Engine apparatus equipment upgrades
Approved funding: $30,000

North Cowichan – Marina firefighting for land-based firefighters
Approved funding: $30,000

North Okanagan Regional District – Training and equipment
Approved funding: $90,000

North Saanich – Modular training structure
Approved funding: $30,000

Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District – To enhance the capability of the volunteer fire departments so fire protection will improve
Approved funding: $259,523.51

Oliver – Training ground fire hydrant and burn building addition
Approved funding: $30,000

Parksville – BullEx fire training screens
Approved funding: $30,000

Paul Lake Community Association – Improvements for equipment and training initiatives
Approved funding: $29,952

Peace River Regional District – Charlie Lake Fire Department – purchase of digital radios; Moberly Lake Fire Department – new fire hose
Approved funding: $54,032

Piers Island Improvement District – Resiliency through InnovationApproved funding: $30,000

Pinantan Lake Fire Association – Structure protection enhancement
Approved funding: $29,824.41

Port Alice – Equipment and training
Approved funding: $16,000

Port Edward – Volunteer Fire Department
Approved funding: $30,000

Port Hardy – Modular fire training facility
Approved funding: $30,000

Powell River – Fire dynamics training prop/simulators
Approved funding: $21,905

Princeton – Volunteer Fire Department grant
Approved funding: $30,000

qathet Regional District – Fire equipment funding for Northside, Savary Island, Malaspina and Lasqueti Island volunteer fire departments
Approved funding: $94,015

Qualicum Beach – Regional: Digital fire training system
Approved funding: $90,000

Salmo – Equipment renewal
Approved funding: $29,325.19

Sandspit Volunteer Fire Department – Basic equipment grant
Approved funding: $29,994

Sasamat Volunteer Firefighters Assoc. – Wildland interface forest fire equipment
Approved funding: $26,340

Saturna Island Fire Protection Society – Training for resiliency and compliance
Approved funding: $29,678

Sayward – Wildfire fighting equipment
Approved funding: $29,910

Ships Point Improvement District – Training facility update and equipment replenishment
Approved funding: $30,000

Sicamous – Fire Department project
Approved funding: $30,000

Sidney – Volunteer training props
Approved funding: $30,000

Simpcw First Nation – Wildland fire suppression enhancements
Approved funding: $30,000

Skwláx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw – Structural protection unit
Approved funding: $30,000

Smithers – Fire training and equipment project
Approved funding: $29,971.54

South Galiano Volunteer Fire Department – Structure protection enhancement program
Approved funding: $30,000

South Quadra Island Fire Protection District – Wildland firefighting coveralls
Approved funding: $11,225.13

Sparwood – Training and equipment upgrades
Approved funding: $30,000

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District – Wildfire Mitigation – Structure Protection Equipment: Britannia Beach VFD, Garibaldi VFD
Approved funding: $54,555.77

Summerland – Equipment project
Approved funding: $24,005

Sunshine Coast Regional District – Equipment modernization and enhancements
Approved funding: $120,000

Sunshine Valley Volunteer Fire Department – Firesmart structure protection
Approved funding: $29,951.50

Tahsis – Coveralls, safety boots and hose wrenches
Approved funding: $10,167.32

Taylor – Training and equipment
Approved funding: $23,000

Telkwa – Replacement turn-out gear
Approved funding: $30,000

Thetis Island Improvement District – SCBA update
Approved funding: $30,000

Thompson-Nicola Regional District – Regional emergency preparedness fire department training and equipment project
Approved funding: $270,000

Tl’azt’en Nation – Operation Put Out Fire
Approved funding: $28,999.22

Tla’amin Nation – Structure fire response
Approved funding: $17,875.70

Tofino – Turnout gear replacement
Approved funding: $25,000

Tomslake and District Volunteer Fire Department – Training resources acquisition
Approved funding: $3,823.27

Tyee Lake Community Association – Continuity of forest fire prevention and response and upgrade to entrapment avoidance and recovery
Approved funding: $29,954.42

Vanderhoof – Improved communications systems – portable radios
Approved funding: $29,998

Watch Lake-North Green Volunteer Fire Department – Safety equipment for new recruits
Approved funding: $27,552

Wells – Volunteer Fire Brigade equipment and training project
Approved funding: $29,947.63

Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ‘it First Nation – Structure protection equipment
Approved funding: $30,000

Zeballos – VFD equipment replacement
Approved funding: $30,000

Contact:

Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Media Relations
250 880-6430

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