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FireSmart continuation pursued by qathet Regional District

qRD finance committee wants to regional board to apply for funding for program to continue
Paul Galinski
Paul Galinski
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SEEKING RENEWAL: qathet Regional District directors on the finance committee want the regional board to apply for funding to continue the FireSmart program, which has operated in the regional district since 2017. The plan is to apply for $150,000 for 2025, which is the maximum amount allocated under the program.Nick Fitzhardinge, Moment, Lake Country Getty Images

qathet Regional District’s (qRD) finance committee is recommending the regional board support continued grant funding for the FireSmart program.

At the February 11 finance committee meeting, Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said he handed out FireSmart pamphlets in his neighbourhood and the program can educate community members.

“I appreciate staff working on the application and getting the funding,” said Lennox.

Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said he recalled some conversations at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention, where there have been some communities with significant wildfires, talking about getting sprinkler systems on people’s roofs to save buildings when fires roll over. He said he knows the FireSmart program is about clearing the brush around buildings, but would a grant for those sprinkler systems be included as part of a future FireSmart program, or would that be something completely separate?

qRD general manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms said the regional district had asked for grant funding years ago, and has tapped into building a sprinkler structure protection trailer that is available to fire services.

“It is something that we do,” said Thoms.

Gisborne said he was speaking to a director from another regional district, who said in some areas homeowners are getting the sprinkler systems and permanently affixing them to the roofs on the houses, so that way, nothing has to be set up in the event of a wildfire.

“The question is: are there grants available to private property owners that could help them purchase these systems and have them permanently affixed to their roofs?” asked Gisborne.

Thoms said that is not part of the FireSmart program, which is trying to encourage property owners to make improvements to their homes and properties that would make them more passive in the event of a wildfire. He said the regional district does not manage grants that would help homeowners purchase sprinklers.

“We offer rebates for other FireSmart improvements,” said Thoms. “There may be other grants out there that people can access themselves. The ones we can access are meant more for fire suppression.”

The committee voted unanimously to support application to the FireSmart program through UBCM to further operate the program.

According to a staff report, FireSmart is the term used to describe seven principles: public education, community planning, development considerations, emergency planning, training, interagency cooperation and vegetation management. 

Beginning in 2017, qRD's regional emergency preparedness service has received grant funding through UBCM's community resiliency investment fund in support of the regional FireSmart program to develop and deliver FireSmart supports throughout qathet Regional District. 

The report stated that UBCM's community resiliency investment funding will provide up to $150,000 per year for eligible FireSmart activities. This amount has been anticipated in the qRD 2025 to 2029 financial plan within the regional emergency preparedness service budget.

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