Members of the Heffley Lake Community Association are trained for wildfire response

Recently, some members of the Heffley Lake Community Association (HLCA) engaged in wildfire response training, offered free from BC Wildfire, and many opened their wallets to fund efforts to acquire necessary emergency response equipment.

The HLCA operates as a voice for the community, director Phil Youwe said, with a membership of 120 people from the Heffley Lake area.

A request to their membership for funding began as the first 14 members underwent the basic fire suppression and safety training course. The association realized government funding for the program didn’t extend to the equipment and supplies needed to put the skills to use in an actual emergency, vice president Jim Davies explained.

“We were totally and completely humbled and thankful for the amazing support that we received from the members of our association to support our volunteers for the wildfire training,” he said.

The HLCA recognizes the benefit of the BC Wildfire program, Youwe said. However, last year B.C. had the worst wildfire season on record and BC Wildfire “get[s] very heavily stretched in many different directions of the province,” he explained.

Because of that, there are many benefits to having a local group of trained responders.

“The success of any fire suppression is quick, early detection and suppression when the fire is small,” Youwe said.

Smoke from any fire will be seen first by residents, including trained members and rather than just reporting the fire, they can also mitigate damages before and while BC Wildfire arrives on scene.

Community wildfire response training program

Since 2022, Davies said BC Wildfire has been exploring a cooperative community wildfire response, “to understand and support the development of Indigenous and rural Indigenous community wildfire preparedness and response capacity.”

Following the established S-100 program, trainees were taught to safely suppress fires and work with the necessary equipment, Youwe said.

The first set of training was done on May 11 and 12, according to Davies. 

“There’s three more members being trained on June 16, I believe, and then there’s two more that are looking for dates in July.”

Training lasts two days, one in the classroom and one in the field for 10 hours each day.

Trainees are not reimbursed for personal protective equipment required for emergency response, such as hard hats, earmuffs, high vis vests, safety eyewear and footwear and flame resistant clothing, Davies said, and the training program is only being offered for the 2024 season. There is no available funding for firefighting equipment for the communities trained either.

“The province set up a free training program for societies to respond to a wildfire, but they have no way of financially supporting these societies,” Davies explained.

In order to respond to wildfires, the volunteers must undergo recertification training every year, which will come at a cost, unlike this year. Maintaining the equipment isn’t cheap either, Davies added. Establishing a long term funding stream is how the volunteer fire brigade can continue to operate.

“We asked for grants to get a trailer and the equipment necessary for our members to respond to a wildfire,” Davies said. These were denied by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) on the basis that “grants may not be made to volunteer fire protection organizations that are not under direct administration of the TNRD.”

They sent grants requests to whoever they could think of, he added.

One option they looked into was the $369 million Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. Davies said there are six funding streams, yet none of them support community wildfire equipment.

“If it wasn’t for the overwhelming support from our members, then we never would have been able to purchase the trailer, pumps, tools and the equipment necessary to respond to a wildfire.”

Receiving funding

The TNRD recognizes the importance of the program and will be going to their policy committee to help find a solution, Davies said. The HLCA secured a $5,000 grant from them, on the condition that it cannot be used to purchase wildfire equipment. 

“However, it could offset the cost of training, both for wildfire training, and for first aid and AED training and everything that our members require as well,” Davies said.

One of their members told them about the Exceptional Community Service Award

Foundation, which funds charitable societies that have done outstanding community service, Davies said. As a member funded, not-for-profit society, they weren’t able to apply themselves.

Rather, they approached the Heffley Creek Community Recreation Association who were able to apply partially for themselves and on behalf of the HLCA. The HLCA received $9,000 with no conditions.

“We’re going to use the $9,000 to complete the equipment that we require,” Davies said. If they’re unable to secure more grants, they’ll set aside some of that money to support the sustainability of the program, he added.