Local volunteer and composite fire departments are receiving nearly $80,000 in provincial funding.
The funding comes from B.C.’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), which supports more than 230 fire departments that are fully or partially staffed by volunteers.
The Sechelt Fire Protection District will receive $40,000 for turnout gear and the Pender Harbour Fire Protection District will receive $39,470.84 for structure fire and wildfire essential equipment upgrade and training, said a March 14 press release from Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill.
The Upper Sunshine Coast is also set to benefit from the funding, with $160,000 going to qathet Regional District's Volunteer Fire Department for equipment intake and $35,620 going to Tla'amin Nation.
Founded in 2017, CEPH has had $369 million invested by the province.
In the release, Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, said, “By providing funding for equipment and training, we’re strengthening local firefighting capabilities so that people in rural and remote communities who depend on volunteer or partial volunteer fire departments are safer and better protected.”
"Having proper equipment at hand during an emergency is incredibly important, and when you live remotely, you need to be prepared," said Randene Neill, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast. "This is welcome support for the amazing volunteers on the Coast and it's great that our government can support volunteer fire departments across the province."
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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