Adam Williams – Kamloops This Week
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has sided with one of its neighbours in a bid for clarity regarding the jurisdiction of volunteer fire departments.
At its January meeting, the TNRD board of directors approved support of a letter written by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) to the B.C. Office of the Fire Commissioner. In the letter, the SLRD requests that the Office of the Fire Commissioner step in and clarify that society-operated volunteer fire departments have the right to step onto private land in the pursuit of their duties and that the right be legislated in the new Fire Safety Act.
The TNRD wrote a letter supporting the SLRD’s requests.
Concerns about the jurisdiction of fire departments arose after a meeting in the summer of 2016, during which the Office of the Fire Commissioner cautioned that volunteer fire departments might not have legal jurisdiction to enter private property to fight a fire. The lack of jurisdiction could lead to the department’s insurance being voided should damage be done to the site.
The TNRD has six society-run fire departments — those in 70 Mile House, South Green Lake, Loon Lake, Little Fort, McLure and Tobiano.
In an email to KTW , Ron Storie, the regional district’s director of community services, said the regional district is also waiting to obtain costs for a fire service review that would incorporate all of the society departments into the TNRD.