A recent Fire Services Review of Clearwater Volunteer Fire Department had many good things to say about the department.
“Overall, the department should be acknowledged for its developing a well-structured training program, good records keeping and displaying a commitment to meeting the requirements of the Playbook,” the review said.
The review was released during a Clearwater town council meeting held Jan. 23.
The review also identified some shortcomings, saying the Clearwater department should confine itself to conducting exterior or defensive attacks on structure fires for the time being.
It recommended that the department not undertake aggressive interior operations on structure fires until written operational guidelines are in place dealing with all offensive interior operations, and certain gaps in training filled.
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The Fire Services Review of the Clearwater department was part of a larger review carried out by consultants Dave Mitchell and Associates for all the departments in the TNRD.
Having the review done with the TNRD provided the District of Clearwater with substantial cost savings, as a total of 11 fire departments were involved.
Other recommendations in the review for Clearwater included:
• develop officer qualifications and prerequisites for all positions;
• formally pre-plan for a major incident arising from the transportation corridors;
• consider updating the fire department bylaw;
• review and potentially update the mutual aid agreements with Blackpool and Vavenby fire departments.
According to the review, which was carried out in June, 2017, CFVD had a complement of 24 members, 22 of whom are actively responding members and two of whom act as support staff members.
In addition to fire suppression duties, the fire department provides responses for motor vehicle incidents (excluding auto extrication for which it relies on Clearwater and District Highway Rescue, which is based in Blackpool) and will undertake wildland-urban interface suppression when required.
The department was established in 1969 and has operated as a municipal department since Clearwater’s incorporation in 2007.
On average, department officers have more than 20 years of service.
Approximately half of the members meet the minimum criteria required by the Playbook for the chosen service level. The remaining members are at various stages of training.
The original CFVD fire hall was built in the 1970s. Additional apparatus bays were added in 1983 and again in 2011.
While the fire hall is in generally good condition, it will likely need to be replaced within the next 10 years as the apparatus bays are too small for today’s modern fire trucks.
During the four years 2013 to 2016, the department responded to a total of 151 emergency and non-emergency incidents. Responses included mutual aid responses to Blackpool, Merritt and one response to an unorganized area.
Highest occurrence of callouts was for fire alarms at 44 over the period or 29 per cent of the total.
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CFVD is party to a mutual aid agreement with both the Blackpool and Vavenby Departments. The Department primarily relies on Blackpool and has never had to call Vavenby.
A large wildland-urban interface incident within the fire service area would be beyond the fire department’s capability and require considerable mutual aid support and the assistance from B.C. Wildfire Service.
A major hazardous materials spill on the highway or railway would also require outside assistance.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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