Grand Forks Gazette Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Fire Prevention Week 2015

Fire Prevention Week is this week, Oct. 4 - 10.

Did you know that roughly half of home fire deaths result
from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most
people are asleep?
Smoke alarms save lives. If there is a fire in your home,
smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you
time to get out. In fact, having a working smoke alarm cuts
the chances of dying in a reported fire in half! Thats why,
this years Fire Prevention Week theme aims
to keep your family safe
with working smoke
alarms in every bedroom. The official theme
is Hear the Beep where
you Sleep. Every bedroom needs a working
smoke alarm.
We hope everyone
will install smoke alarms
in every bedroom, outside each separate sleep-

ing area, and on every level of your home, including the basement. Larger homes may need more alarms.
National Fire Protection Assoication (NFPA) is excited to
share this important information so everyone better understands the life-saving value of home smoke alarms. Visit NFPAs Smoke Alarm Central and Fire Prevention Week website for more information, resources, messages, videos and a
fun, interactive quiz to test your knowledge.

Introducing...

Grand Forks Fire/Rescue

www.grandforksgazette.ca A11

When a person becomes

a firefighter, their act
of bravery has already
been accomplished!
Interfor would like
to acknowledge all
of the firefighters
for their commitment
and dedication,
educating others about
fire prevention,
and for their diligence
in keeping our homes
and businesses safe.

A Thank You
Message
To all our Volunteer Firefighters:
2015 has been the busiest year yet for
Grand Forks Fire/Rescue, and we would
like to recognize the incredible commitment
that the volunteer firefighters make to
the City and Area D.
Wed also like to acknowledge our
firefighters families and employers. Without
their continued support, the firefighters would
not be able to leave home or work to respond
to emergencies on a moments notice.

Fire Chief Dale Heriot and Deputy Fire Chief Kevin

McKinnon are proud of the volunteer members who
make up the team that is Grand Forks Fire/Rescue:
Ken Abetkoff
Howard Aldridge
Dan Barron
Assistant Fire Chief
Manfred Bialon
Lt. John Billwiller
Mick Borsey
Capt. Dean Bryant
Shane Burdikin
Aaron Cahoon
Les Cleverly
Jamie Colby
Gord Davis
Jennifer Dorner
Loren Dorner
Capt. Lyle Dorner
John Feenstra
Paul Findlater

Scott Gaudet
Nathan Hein
Ryan Hogan
Tyler Hooge
Zane Hubert
Ashley Jacklin
Letha Leber
Capt. Scott Leslie
Michael Montgomery
Carl Moreau
Lee Nermo
Todd Oyler
Dave Paulett
Capt. Rich Pich
Martin Schafer
Carl Scown
Capt. Scott Sheppard
Capt. Robert Silva

Regional District
of the Kootenay Boundary

Darcy Skerritt
Gary Smith
Dave Squarebriggs
Kris Symyrozum
Cody Thate
Tyler Thate
Brady Tralnberg
James Traynor
Bob Van
Dave Walsh
Micah Webb
Chris Wolfram
Nicki-Jo Wolfram

Grand Forks is extremely fortunate to have

this selfless group of volunteers, giving
thousands of hours each year at risk to their
personal safety to protect the lives and
property of the residents of our community.
Thank you for your dedicated service.
Dale Heriot

Fire Chief

Fire/Rescue members took part in a weekend-long course in Automobile Extrication,

part of the ongoing training volunteers take.

~ Thank You ~

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Electoral Area C/Christina Lake, Electoral
Area D/Rural Grand Forks and Electoral Area E/West Boundary wish to acknowledge and
thank the reghters, volunteers and all others involved during the 2015 wildres.
Your dedication and efforts to keep our communities safe is greatly appreciated.
RDKB Board Chair/Christina Lake Director Grace McGregor ~ Rural Grand Forks Director Roly Russell
West Boundary Director Vicki Gee

Kevin McKinnon
Deputy Fire Chief

Grand Forks
Fire / Rescue

A12 www.grandforksgazette.ca

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Fire Prevention Week 2015

Property preparation an
appropriate regional theme
SMOKE ALARM
AWARENESS
On Thursday, October 8th
Panago will be teaming up with our
local fire department to randomly
select:

Customers
between 5 - 7 pm
If the customer agrees, the fire truck will
escort our driver to the home and check
for a working smoke alarm. if they have
one the pizza order will be free. If its not
working they will either put in new
batteries or replace the unit or install a
new one if you do not have one at
your convenience.
Boundary Park
Shopping Centre,
7320 - 4th Street,
Grand Forks, BC

By Kevin MacKinnon, Deputy Fire Chief

Fire prevention week is typically about
residential fire protection. The theme this
year is Hear the Beep where you Sleep and
is focused on having working and tested smoke alarms.For
the Boundary area, this summers wildfire events make property preparation following the FireSmart guidelines an appropriate regional theme for Fire Prevention Week in addition to the national campaign.
By early July it had become apparent that conditions in the
Boundary were significant for the risk of wildfires, and that
wildfire season was starting much earlier than usual. Things
started with a below-average snow pack and earlier-thanusual melt and river levels that lowered much earlier than
normal. This year, the region saw the hottest June on record,
and in early July there were frequent thunderstorms; the last
meaningful rain had been the first few days of June.
The Southeast Fire Centre imposed a full burning ban, including campfires, earlier than usual. Most of the Southern
Interior was at a fire danger rating of 4 High, but the western part of the zone was at level 5 Extreme.
On Aug. 13, the wildfire in Rock Creek started sometime
near 1:30 p.m. The fire grew to approximately 4,000 hectares
in the first day, with 98 per cent in the first six hours. The
drought conditions all summer along
with wind, temperature, and humidity combined to create the ideal conditions, which led to one of the fastest
moving fires in recent memory.
In the following days, the same
winds led to some advanced fire
branding from the Stickpin fire in
Washington toward the Canadian
border. This resulted in significant
planning for action in the Christina
Lake and Grand Forks areas, ultimately with an evacuation alert being

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

WHEREAS there is increasing public awareness of the dangers of fire
throughout North America;
AND WHEREAS the week of October 4th to 10th has traditionally been
designated as Fire Prevention Week;
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary do hereby proclaim the week of
October 4th to 10th, 2014 Fire Prevention Week in the Regional District
of Kootenay Boundary.
Director Ali Grieve
Director Linda Worley
Director Roland Russell
Grace McGregor, Chair
Director Vicki Gee

Grand Forks Gazette

Director Patricia Cecchini

Director Neil Krog
Director Ed Smith
Director Marguerite
Rotvold

Director Joe Danchuk

Director Kathy Moore
Director Mike Martin
Director Ted Pahl

THANK YOU TO ALL AREA FIRE FIGHTERS FROM BOTH THE

REGIONAL DISTRICTS OF KOOTENAY BOUNDARY and CENTRAL
KOOTENAY AND THE BC WILDFIRE SERVICE FIRE FIGHTERS

issued for the southernmost parts of both valleys. In British

Columbia, an evacuation alert is the get ready stage evacuation orders are the get out level.
Between the Rock Creek and Stickpin fires, volunteers
from the four Boundary-area fire departments worked with
the BC Wildfire Service, other regional fire departments, contractors, and the Incident Management Team in charge of the
American response to the Stickpin Fire. Air support activity
made the Grand Forks airport extremely busy. There were
several other fires, mostly lightning strikes, in the area during
the same time period, which were being closely monitored.
When Sprinkler Protection Unit crews started deploying
equipment, the reality of the situation was clearly recognized
by residents. It was very encouraging to see people taking
information from the BC FireSmart manual (available as a
PDF online, www.embc.gov.bc.ca/ofc/interface/pdf/homeowner-firesmart.pdf , or linked from www.gffr.ca ) to clean
up their yards and minimize fire danger conditions on their
own properties.
Being proactive in keeping properties suitably maintained
will be beneficial should conditions be favourable for such
events in the future. All of the area fire services encourage reviewing the FireSmart manual and following its recommendations for making your home fire smart.

A group briefing was held at Dick Bartlett Park on the weekend the evacuation alert was issued in our area. Attendees included a collection of structural firefighters from here and some of the regional guys that came in from
the West and Central Kootenays during the Stickpin event; several of the Canadian wildland firefighters that were working on the U.S. side were recalled
back during the weekend while the evacuation alert was active.

Ladder-a-thon this weekend!

The Grand Forks Volunteer Firefighters Association holds a

24-hour Ladder-a-thon each year, usually on the August long
weekend. Over the years, this annual fundraiser has seen proceeds
donated to various local or national concerns, or been used for training equipment within the department. This year, the date of the event
was moved to coincide with the Firebells and Fanfare antique fire
truck show, which was subsequently cancelled due to the Rock Creek
and Stickpin fires.
The volunteers had already collected advance pledges for their
time up the ladder, so to honour those pledges theyve decided to
wrap up Fire Prevention Week with a rescheduled Ladder-a-thon,
which will be held from 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 through 3 p.m. on Saturday the 10th at the Overwaitea Foods parking lot.
Other Fire Prevention Week activities include a smoke detector
check-up in partnership with Panago on Thursday evening, and an
Open House at the downtown Fire Hall on Second Street Saturday
morning, Oct. 10.

On behalf of the Residents of the Entire Boundary Area, the RDKB Board of
Directors wishes to thank all those Fire Fighters who dedicated their time to
training and to protecting the residents during the recent 2015 wildfires.
One can never appreciate the significant importance of having local fire
departments until an emergency or a tragedy strikes. The brave men
and women from the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and Central
Kootenay who volunteer their time and who dedicate many hours to training
to ensure they are ready in the event of a fire are appreciated.

A Heartfelt

Thank You

from management and staff to all the firefighters

and volunteers for your bravery and dedication in
keeping our communities safe.

Manfred Bialon photo

Morrissey Creek
Building
Supplies
2750 E. Almond Gardens
Rd, Grand Forks, BC

250-442-2312

Grand Forks Gazette Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Thank You

www.grandforksgazette.ca A13

to the brave men and women that dedicate

themselves and make the personal sacrifices to
keep us safe. We are truly grateful!

7370 4th St., Grand Forks, BC (250) 442-5560

Fire Prevention Week 2015

Introducing...

Christina Lake Fire Rescue

Thank You
To the many agencies and people
involved with
helping to
manage the fires
within and near
our beautiful
area, from our
local government
staff to our fire
departments,
from the many
volunteers to our
neighbours who lent their equipment,
and all those in between;
Thank you for your dedication
and support!

Roly Russell
Area D Director
RDKB

HISTORY

The Christina Lake Fire Department was formed in the

1940s as a group of volunteer citizens who tried to provide
fire service to the Community. In 1990 the Christina Lake Fire
Department re-organized and now reports to the Regional
District of Kootenay Boundary.

ORGANIZATION

Christina Lake Fire Rescue is Paid-on-Call. The Fire Chief

reports to the board of directors of the Regional District of
Kootenay Boundary and the Christina Lake Fire Department
Society.
Under the direction of the fire chief there is a deputy chief
who is in charge of training and supervises four captains
one of which is the departments safety officer.
The Department is comprised of 25 members.

WHAT DO WE DO
The Christina Lake Fire Department operates out of one
hall at the south end of Christina Lake on Swanson Road. We
respond to an average of 100 emergency calls a year. The Department provides the following services to Electoral Area C

of the RDKB (Christina Lake):

Fire protection and suppression to the Christina Lake area
including Fife, Cascade and the Ponderosa areas
First Responder medical emergency calls throughout
Area C
Response to motor vehicle accidents and emergency
incidents
Extrication from vehicles using the jaws of life
Rescue operations from land or water
Fire prevention service on request
Fire inspection services on request or when required
by law
Fire investigation and cause determination as required
Community Support in any emergency situation
Emergency planning
The Fire Department Societys mandate is to support the
fire department by actively raising funds. The society supports many organizations in the community, particularly
those involving youth.
Members sponsor Scouting and Guiding, various youth
groups, and provide a scholarship for graduating high school
students. The society is also involved in organizing and supporting community events such as the annual fireworks display and the Christmas Hamper program.

Thank you
for your dedication.
Thank you
for your bravery.
Thank you
for your passion.
Thank you
firefighters
& volunteers!

330 Central Ave, Grand Forks 250-442-3515

www.pharmasavegrandforks.com
1746 Sandner Frontage Road, RR#3
Christina Lake 250-447-2658

Sincere Gratitude
Roxul Management and Staff would like to recognize the
brave men and women that dedicate their lives and make
personal sacrifices to keep us and our communities safe.
Thank you to all the firefighters and volunteers.
Grand Forks, BC

www.roxul.com

A14 www.grandforksgazette.ca

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Fire Prevention Week 2015

(Right) Christina Lake Fire Rescue members enjoyed working with local paramedics at their last
training session. The BC Ambulance went through
everything on the ambulance as a refresher for the
troops.....a very worthwhile practice; (Far right) An
example of one persons idea of a small campfire
during a campfire ban.
Dan Marcoux photos

Thank You
to
Everyone
Who helped with
the wildfires of this
past summer!
Firefighters help keep our
homes and
communities safe.
Thank you for all of your
courageous and hard work!
Listowel Trophies
& Engraving
250-442-3499
7460 2nd Street (Above B&F Sales)
listowelsales@gmail.com

B&F

Sales and Service Ltd.

250-442-3555 7466 2nd Street

Tuesday Saturday

Thank You
to all the firefighters
and volunteers for your
dedication to keep us
safe during the wildfires
this past season.
We appreciate your
courage and passion.

Grand Forks Gazette

Thank
you!

Taking the heat a day in

the boots of a firefighter
By Naomi Yamamoto
Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness

VICTORIAAs fire chiefs from across Canada assemble in Victoria last

month for the annual Fire Rescue Conference, I donned the same heavy
gear and breathing apparatus that firefighters do when rushing in where
most others would rush out.
I felt the sweltering heat of the equipment and saw the blinding haze
of a smoke-filled building. Wearing 30 kg of gear, I tried to push down the
feelings of unease that welled up inside me as I navigated an unfamiliar
structure threatened by flames.
For me, during the fire ops training at the Vancouver Fire training facility, the flames were real but the conditions controlled. Yet firefighters all
across British Columbia, responding to the real threat, face danger in the
eye each time the garage doors roll up and the fire trucks roll out. I had
the opportunity to see, first hand, what these exceptional men and women
face when they have to meet the challenge of courage every time the call of
service comes in, and I felt such gratitude, that I know is shared by all of us,
for the safety net that all first responders provide in our province.
The event is meant to replicate the challenges confronted by firefighters every day in the line of duty, and while mine was only a test and I was
safe, the work was hard in conditions that were tough, and the challenge
to perform under pressure was immense. It was strenuous, both physically
and mentally.
I am reminded by this experience that we must take the opportunity
to thank those among us that routinely stand up, and stand out, as heroes
when disaster strikes. One way we can consider thanking local firefighters
for their selfless effort to help make our communities safe is to nominate
them for the Medal of Good Citizenship.
As the new minister of state for emergency preparedness, responsible as
well for the BC Office of the Fire Commissioner, I am committed to helping
elevate fire prevention awareness and fan the flames of fire safety. Oct. 5 10 is Fire Prevention Week, an opportunity for us to review our evacuation
plans and practise our fire drills, test the batteries in our fire alarms and
ensure our fire extinguishers are serviced.
Here in B.C. the number one source of residential fires is stove top burners, but other top ignition sources include electrical, fireplaces and chimneys, as well as cigarettes. Many fires are preventable, yet statistics show
that on average, fire kills eight people each week in Canada, with residential
fires accounting for
73 per cent of those
fatalities. Join me in
* In British Columbia:
thanking a firefighter
Dead batteries were found in smoke alarms in 302 residential fires
for the service they
resulting in 39 injuries and 7 fatalities
provide to public
Power had not been connected or smoke alarms were found dissafety, and the best
abled/off in 230 residential fires resulting in 32 injuries and 7 fatalities
Smoke alarms were found to be ineffective due to their unsuitable
thanks of all comes by
location in 582 fires resulting in 15 injuries and 1 fatality
refusing to be a statis Regrettably, no smoke alarms were installed in 1,966 residential fires
tic by simply becomresulting in 113 injuries and 20 fatalities
ing better equipped
* Stats are gathered from data from 2009-2014 to show the last five years. Provided by
the Office of the Fire Commissioner 2015
and fire-safe at home.

Wayne and Diana would like to thank

all the firefighters and volunteers for
their excellent and ongoing commitment
to the protection and security
of our beautiful communities
and its residents.
Thank you! Locally owned and
operated by
Diana & Wayne
Christensen

7281 - 5th Street

Grand Forks, BC

250-442-2152

Thank You

to all the firefighters and volunteers for your

dedication and commitment. We are extremely
grateful to have such a selfless group to protect
us and our beautiful area.

Alarming Stats

575 Central Ave. Grand Forks

Firefighters & Volunteers

Tues to Fri 9:30 am-5 pm & Sat 9:30 am-1 pm 250-442-5511
www.gfdscu.com

Thank you for the extraordinary job

that you do. Your bravery and passion is
remarkable and deeply appreciated!

1720 Sandner Frontage Rd. Christina Lake, BC

250-447-6171

Grand Forks Gazette Wednesday, October 7, 2015

www.grandforksgazette.ca A15