The District of Kent and the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) will receive funding to bolster local emergency preparedness.
The provincial government recently announced an investment of $6.3 million in 110 volunteer and composite – partially paid and partially volunteer – fire departments across the province. The funding will span 114 municipalities and First Nations communities.
“Many people across the province live in communities with fire services delivered by volunteer or part-volunteer fire departments, and they depend on those fire crews to keep them and their families safe when fires happen,” Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma stated. “These fire crews have different challenges than most fire departments, and this funding will go a long way by supporting them to purchase new or replacement equipment and deliver training to their volunteers and staff.”
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In Kent, $180,000 will go toward a new regional fire training centre. In the FVRD, $208,980 will go toward new equipment, training and other means of support for local fire departments.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon stressed the importance of supporting volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments through this funding.
“The work of fire fighters is so important in our communities, especially when it comes to volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments which are often in rural, remote or Indigenous communities,” she stated. “I’m grateful to all of those who put their lives on the line to protect their community and am glad that fire departments here in Kent and the FVRD have this additional support.”
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Since 2017, the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund has financed more than 1,300 projects across B.C. with more than $111 million invested.
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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