localNEWS - Sun Peaks Fire Rescue ablaze with action

Sun Peaks Fire Rescue ablaze with action

APRIL 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 4

A new state-of-the-art pumper truck, and a much-anticipated work experience program are just two new developments recently incorporated at Sun Peaks Fire Rescue (SPFR).

As of this spring SPFR now has a fleet of four vehicles, completed by the arrival last month of a brand-new, built-to-order telesquirt fire engine equipped with a 65-foot ladder.

The new engine, says Fire Chief Bill Stoner, is a crucial addition, putting SPFR in a better position to handle any fire.

“It has an aerial master stream so we can put water in places where we couldn’t put it before,” explains Stoner. “We can direct water from the ground, and get into every building in Sun Peaks, so there are lots of reasons why this truck is great for the community.”

Only two years ago, the fleet of firefighting vehicles consisted of two aging trucks—one 20 years old, the other 11, housed in an uncompleted fire hall.

The department has since seen many improvements. In a short timeframe extra garage space has been built onto the fire hall, three modern fire trucks have been acquired, and SPFR has gone from having one full-time employee to three. They will be joined this spring by four qualified firefighters recruited as part of a new Work Experience Program.

It’s a program Stoner calls a win-win situation—the firefighters taking part bring their skills in exchange for accommodation and knowledge gained through working at SPFR, which sometimes falls short of volunteers at the end of the ski season and throughout the summer.

“They’re all trainee professional firefighters who’ve gone to school for firefighting, so we don’t have to train them as much as other volunteers,” points out Stoner.

The progressive fire department has come a long way and the much-anticipated improvements, says Stoner, allow it to offer a better-quality community fire service.

“We have great equipment now, and I feel comfortable with our ability to respond to most situations that could occur,” says Stoner, who notes SPFR currently has a solid 20-member volunteer core. “We’ve got an outstanding level of professionalism that our volunteers bring to the community.”

Part of the ongoing mandate of SPFR is fire prevention—something Stoner says is clearly less expensive than responding to an actual fire. Accordingly, SPFR is offering free commercial and residential fire inspections at Sun Peaks this spring.

For more information contact 250-578-8985 or visit www.sunpeaksfirerescue.com.

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