The fire training centre is used by area firefighters (paid and on-call) to practice skills in a live burn building. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star)

Support snuffed for North Okanagan fire training centre

Following the City of Vernon's suit, all member jurisdictions have dropped out of the Fire Training Centre function.

Following the City of Vernon’s suit, all member jurisdictions have dropped out of the Fire Training Centre function.

But that does not mean the service will fall.

With Vernon not running the centre anymore the Regional District of North Okanagan is making sure fire training will be available for the area departments and others needing the training that the centre can offer. The RDNO has taken over the service as of Jan. 1, 2021.

“Although the structure of the services has changed the goals of the centre have not,” RDNO community services manager Mike Fox said.

“The RDNO will still be getting input by all the fire chiefs in the area and making sure core training for volunteer fire departments is being offered. To make sure the centre is meeting the needs of the fire halls we will need to continue the practice of getting all the comments from the fire chiefs.”

Most of the courses are already developed and will be passed on to the RDNO from Vernon, along with information records and files. Rates and policies will need to be set and the regional district will be updating everyone it moves into this new management of the facility.

“The RDNO looks forward to offering high-quality training at the centre in the near future,” Fox said.

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Vernon Morning Star