Funding Will Support Local Volunteer Fire Departments, Keep People Safe

The province has announced new funding to help with training and equipment for volunteer fire departments.

“Many people living in smaller or remote B.C. communities are served by hard-working volunteer or partly volunteer fire departments. These departments don’t have the same resources found in larger communities,” said George Heyman, acting Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

“We’re supporting these fire departments with funding for equipment and training to ensure people are safer and better protected by enhanced local firefighting capability that meets local needs.”

Courtenay Comox MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard says funding for local fire departments, like for cancer mitigation equipment in Comox,  will make sure firefighters are safer and more prepared to do their important work every day.

The Comox Fire Department will be getting $30,000 for supplies to support cancer mitigation.

The Comox Valley Regional District (regional fire partners: Denman Island, Hornby Island, Fanny Bay, Union Bay, Oyster River, Merville, Mt. Washington) is seeing more than $200 thousand in funding for various operations.

Through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), the provincial government is providing more than $6.2 million for 122 local projects, benefiting more than 200 volunteer and composite fire departments across B.C. Composite fire departments are those that have a mix of staff and volunteers.

Since 2017, the province says more than $17 million has been provided to volunteer and composite fire departments through the CEPF for additional equipment and training.

For details, visit Government of British Columbia.