Burns Lake Fire and Rescue Department 2021 report

Burns Lake Fire Chief Robert Krause presented the Village of Burns Lake council with the Burns Lake Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department (BLFRD) annual report for 2021.

Call volumes were high in 2021 with 152 responses, which was slightly down from the record 165 in 2020. According to Krause’s report, overall call volumes have been trending upwards over the last five years.

For the first time ever, medical and B.C. ambulance service assist calls were the number one call type throughout the year. “The effect of COVID-19 on the health care system, as well as the ongoing paramedic shortage in B.C., continues to impact local resources despite the upgrade of the Burns Lake station to a full-time Alpha station,” Krause stated in the report.

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Motor vehicle incidents, which traditionally represented the highest call volumes in previous years, were down significantly in 2021 according to Krause.

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The BLFRD did not respond to any significant fire structures in 2021, unlike 2020. In total, there were seven minor fires resulting in less than $100,000 in combined damages.

The BLFRD continued to place a high priority on training for members this past year. A total of 54 regular training sessions were conducted over the course of the year, on core skills using the National Fire Protection Agency 1001 standard. This training was completed in-house using the BLFRD fire service instructors.

In addition to the regular training schedule, the department also completed courses in driver training, rail incident training with liquid natural gasses, resilient minds mental health training, and incident safety officer training.

In the report, it was stated that the department’s membership numbers continue to be very strong, as there were 25 active members in the department as Dec. 31, 2021, as well as six new recruits who began their orientation and training in December.

A number of service milestones were recognized by the department in 2021 as well. Fire fighter Dirk Hofer was promoted to lieutenant, after the retirement of Charlie Sherwood. In addition, Travis Warkentin was recognized for 10 years of service, and firefighters Jesse Bird, Ben Timmerman, and David Shumka have all completed five years of service.