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Tighter regulations coming to volunteer fire departments

Work underway to ensure local fire departments including Keremeos meet provincial standards.
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Regional directors adopted a Fire Master Plan at last week’s meeting.

At least one fire chief says a new Fire Master Plan has prompted his departure as the head of his community’s volunteer fire department - but for good reasons.

After four years as chief of Willowbrook Volunteer Fire Department, Brad Fossett is hanging up his hat.

Also retiring from firefighting is Bob Haddow, who helmed the OK Falls fire department for more than 50 years.

“It very much is related to the master plan,” Fossett said about his retirement, which was announced at last Thursday’s Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen meeting.

“It’s pointing a direction to the rule makers and to the funding providers. Taxpayers know that in order to get what is legislated they need to put more up.”

“It’s just time. It feels like the right time for me and it’s a fresh start for the fire service with these major pieces of legislation that are coming down.”

Last Thursday, RDOS directors adopted the Fire Master Plan, which will streamline operations for the seven volunteer departments it oversees. The seven departments are Willowbrook, OK Falls, Anarchist Mountain, Keremeos, Naramata, Kaleden and Tulameen.

Fossett, who’s history as a volunteer firefighter spans more than four decades, said the province’s Office of the Fire Commissioner Playbook released last year is the most, “significant change in the fire protection industry in the province of British Columbia.”

Using the framework of the playbook and Occupational Health and Safety Standards each department was audited to ensure standards are being met. For those that need help meeting regulations plans are being implemented.

Bob Haddow, who celebrated his 50-year tenure as chief of OK Falls earlier this year, also said his retirement is mainly driven by it being ‘the right time.’

Haddow wasn’t as positive about legislative changes, but was careful not to be negative either.

“There’s always changes that come along. I may not agree with what’s there but that isn’t to say that there’s not some good points.”

Haddow didn’t elaborate on what points he might think are good or bad, and stated he hadn’t read the master plan document in its entirety.

The Fire Master Plan outlines where the departments are not in compliance with provincial legislation and how to get where they need to be, Mark Woods, community services manager for RDOS, said.

“The legislation has clearly outlined for us what the standards are now,” Woods said.

“People have lost their lives in this business and we can’t dance around it.”

Departments are required to select which kind of service they will offer based on training and equipment available.

Service levels are exterior, interior and full. All departments in the RDOS will offer exterior firefighting.

“People are saying that we can never do interior attack on fires. But that’s not the case. Every time a department goes to a fire, a chief or lead has to make the decision what type of attack they are going to undertake. If it isn’t safe, it isn’t safe. What we have to do now is to prove to the government that what we do is safe.”

As part of the master plan a full-time position is being created to oversee the seven fire departments to aid with paperwork, training, and even recruitment and retention.

Woods said recommendations found in the master plan will be acted on immediately and staff are currently working on budget implications.

“There’s no way to know what this is going to cost right now. We’re working on it and it will be available starting November during our budget workshops,” Woods said.