Building volunteer fire department capacity

THE Province is investing nearly $4 million to equip and train volunteer and composite fire departments, strengthening emergency response and keeping people in communities throughout B.C. safer.

“Volunteer firefighters show up when it matters most, and this funding equips them to respond faster and more effectively,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, on Tuesday. “Every community faces different risks and these projects will allow local fire departments to invest in the specific training and equipment they need to keep both responders and residents safe.”

Through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), the Province is supporting 86 projects throughout the province under the Volunteer and Composite Fire Department Equipment and Training stream. This funding will help volunteer and composite fire departments prepare for and respond to emergencies supported by new equipment and the delivery of firefighter training.

“Firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to protect people in B.C., homes and businesses,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “This funding will supplement training and help equip firefighters be prepared for any challenges that arise, keeping themselves and their communities safe.”

Many communities throughout B.C. count on volunteer and composite firefighter departments to protect people, homes and businesses. Since 2017, more than $29 million has been provided to more than 500 projects for volunteer and composite fire departments through the CEPF.

Projects funded in 2026 include:

* Errington Volunteer Fire Department: Upgrading portable pumps with higher pressure and volume for water tenders, and equipping engines with essential tools to enhance firefighter safety and improve the department’s capacity to respond to structure fires in the rural service area.

* Central Kootenay Regional District: Regional firefighter training and equipment upgrades, including two training officer positions to deliver training to new and current firefighters, and improvements to the Live Fire Centre and Regional Training Centre that serves all fire departments in the district.

* Neskonlith Indian Band: Six new self-contained breathing-apparatus units for the volunteer fire department to improve firefighter safety and ensure compliance with B.C. training standards for structure fire emergencies.

* Mount Waddington Regional District: Equipping the Coal Harbour, Hyde Creek, Sointula and Woss volunteer fire departments with essential equipment, including breathing apparatus, protective gear, radios and other tools.

* Hawkins Lake Volunteer Firefighters Association: Purchasing firefighting protective gear to fully equip their growing roster of volunteer firefighters and support the department’s expansion.

By investing in the training and equipment that volunteer and composite fire departments need, the Province is helping ensure communities are better prepared to respond to emergencies.

Quick Facts:

* The Province has invested $369 million into the CEPF since it was established in 2017.

* In addition to the Volunteer and Composite Fire Departments Equipment and Training stream, CEPF also funds emergency operations centre equipment and training, emergency support services equipment and training, public notification and evacuation route planning and foundations of disaster risk reduction.

* Including this intake, more than $346 million has been provided to First Nations and local governments for more than 2,600 projects.

* The CEPF is administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities on behalf of the Province.

Learn More:

For information about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, visit: https://www.ubcm.ca/cepf

BACKGROUNDER

Volunteer and composite fire departments, local governments and First Nations will receive nearly $4 million from the CEPF, as follows:

100 Mile House – Wildland Structure Protection Equipment
Amount: $29,924

70 Mile House Volunteer Firefighters Association – Equipment upgrades and firefighter training
Amount: $18,910

Adams Lake Indian Band – Personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus
Amount: $30,000

Armstrong – Structure fire equipment
Amount: $29,779

Atlin Community Improvement District – Turnout gear, breathing-apparatus cylinders, hoses and training
Amount: $28,713

Barriere – Turnout gear, protective equipment and training
Amount: $30,000

Bralorne Fire Protection Association – Structure and wildland turnout gear and hoses
Amount: $30,000

Burns Lake – Firefighter safety, communications and training equipment
Amount: $30,000

Campbell River – Firefighter training and training equipment
Amount: $30,000

Canal Flats – Breathing-apparatus cylinders and training equipment
Amount: $30,000

Capital Regional District Fire Departments – Protective equipment, breathing-apparatus equipment and training
Amount: $209,470

Castlegar – Firefighter training and personal protective equipment
Amount: $11,910

Central Coast Regional District – Fire department equipment
Amount: $27,641

Central Kootenay Regional District – Breathing-apparatus, fire-equipment and firefighter training
Amount: $480,000

Central Saanich – Structure protection unit equipment
Amount: $29,348

Chase – Firefighter equipment and communications upgrades
Amount: $26,300

Chimney & Felker Lakes Volunteer Fire Department – Structure and wildland turnout gear and training
Amount: $30,000

Clinton – Structure firefighting turnout gear
Amount: $29,923

Cluculz Lake Volunteer Fire Department – Firefighter equipment and training
Amount: $18,803

Coldstream – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety equipment upgrades
Amount: $30,000

Columbia Shuswap Regional District – Thermal imaging cameras, fire hose and personal protective equipment
Amount: $419,160

Comox – Firefighter safety and cleaning equipment
Amount: $30,000

Comox Valley Regional District – Turnout gear, hoses, breathing apparatus and training
Amount: $23,500

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band – Firefighter equipment and safety upgrades
Amount: $30,000

Cowichan Bay Improvement District – Firefighting equipment and wildfire preparedness training
Amount: $29,953

Duncan – Firefighter training support
Amount: $30,000

Dzawada’enuxw First Nation – Firefighter equipment and training
Amount: $30,000

Enderby – Breathing apparatus and high-volume pump
Amount: $30,000

Errington Volunteer Fire Department – Mobile water supply and fire response equipment upgrades
Amount: $30,000

Erris Volunteer Fire Association – Firefighter equipment and training upgrades
Amount: $29,627

Extension Volunteer Fire Department – Firefighter protective equipment and response gear upgrades
Amount: $30,000

Fernie – Fire hose, nozzles, breathing apparatus and training
Amount: $30,000

Fort St. James – Protective equipment and thermal imaging upgrades
Amount: $29,260

Fraser-Fort George Regional District – Turnout gear and breathing-apparatus replacement
Amount: $390,000

Fraser Lake – Firefighter equipment
Amount: $17,130

Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District – Structure protection unit expansion equipment
Amount: $30,000

Gillies Bay Improvement District – Cross-training and turnout gear
Amount: $30,000

Gold River – Breathing apparatus replacement
Amount: $29,533

Greenwood – Structure firefighting training
Amount: $30,000

Haisla Nation – Firefighter equipment
Amount: $27,365

Harrison Hot Springs – Structure fire equipment
Amount: $30,000

Hawkins Lake Volunteer Firefighters Association – Wildland-firefighting protective gear
Amount: $12,700

Heiltsuk Nation – Fire response and firefighter safety equipment
Amount: $30,000

Highlands – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety-equipment upgrades
Amount: $30,000

Horsefly Volunteer Fire Department – Hoses, pumps and breathing apparatus
Amount: $29,908

Invermere – Structure-fire equipment
Amount: $30,000

Kimberley – Interface response pumps, water tanks and accessories
Amount: $30,000

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation – Fire response, communications and gear-cleaning equipment
Amount: $26,669

Kitimat-Stikine Regional District – Structure firefighting hose and nozzles
Amount: $30,000

Mackenzie – Replacement of expiring personal protective equipment
Amount: $30,000

Masset – Protective and firefighter equipment
Amount: $27,756

Mayne Island Improvement District – Firefighter training equipment
Amount: $7,411

McLeod Lake Indian Band – Firefighting equipment and training
Amount: $29,757

Merritt – Structure-firefighting hose
Amount: $30,000

Mount Waddington Regional District – Breathing apparatus, protective equipment and tools
Amount: $120,000

Neskonlith Indian Band – Breathing-apparatus units
Amount: $30,000

Noosatsum Waterworks District – Structure and wildland turnout gear, hoses and nozzles
Amount: $28,015

North Saanich – Structure protection equipment
Amount: $30,000

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality – Personal protective equipment for on-call firefighters
Amount: $26,016

Nuxalk Nation – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety equipment
Amount: $30,000

Okanagan Indian Band – Turnout-gear replacement
Amount: $28,374

Oliver – Breathing-apparatus units
Amount: $30,000

Peachland – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety equipment
Amount: $30,000

Pemberton – Structure-firefighting protective equipment replacement
Amount: $22,883

Pender Harbour Fire Protection District – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety equipment
Amount: $29,945

Penelakut Tribe – Structure-fire training
Amount: $30,000

Pinantan Lake Fire Association – Interface-response hose, sprinklers and pumps
Amount: $29,891

Port Alice – Breathing apparatus and firefighting equipment
Amount: $29,758

Pouce Coupe – Bunker gear and thermal imaging camera
Amount: $30,000

Quesnel – Firefighter training support
Amount: $21,663

Salmon Arm – Firefighting equipment and training materials
Amount: $30,000

Sasamat Volunteer Firefighters Association – Firefighter training and equipment
Amount: $29,876

Seabird Island Band – Firefighter training and protective equipment
Amount: $30,000

Sicamous – Breathing-apparatus cylinders, turnout gear and fill-station sequencer
Amount: $30,000

Skwláx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw – Firefighting communication and safety equipment
Amount: $29,159

South Quadra Island Fire Protection District – Firefighter gear cleaning and safety equipment
Amount: $25,894

Stellat’en First Nation – Firefighting and wildland response equipment
Amount: $30,000

Strathcona Regional District – Live-fire training system
Amount: $30,000

Sts’ailes – Fire adapters, nozzles and wildland training
Amount: $30,000

Sunshine Coast Regional District – Turnout gear, hoses and firefighter training
Amount: $120,000

Tumbler Ridge – Wildland firefighting protective equipment replacement
Amount: $30,000

Van Anda Improvement District – Interface and structure-fire response equipment
Amount: $30,000

View Royal – Thermal imaging cameras and safety equipment
Amount: $29,189

Wells – Structure and wildland equipment and fire-service instructor training
Amount: $29,998

Witset First Nation – Firefighter equipment and safety equipment
Amount: $30,000

Zeballos – Breathing apparatus upgrades
Amount: $30,000