A lack of firefighters means North Shuswap residents could be facing higher property insurance rates.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District says the Scotch Creek/Lee Creek Fire Department is currently short of firefighting personnel needed to maintain its current Fire Underwriters Survey accreditation that benefits area residents with dramatically reduced fire insurance rates.
“If we don’t get more members we are in danger of losing our STSS (Superior Tanker Shuttle Service) accreditation. If that happens, everyone pays,” says Derek Sutherland, team leader of protective services for the CSRD.
STSS accreditation affects the Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG) used by Canadian insurers in calculating insurance premiums related to family dwellings. Grading ranges from 1, the highest possible, to 5, which is little or no fire protection.
“In general, the price of insurance in a community with a good DPG is substantially lower than in a community with a poor DPG, assuming all other factors are equal,” states the Fire Underwriters Survey website.
The #CSRD is looking for new firefighters in all departments, but especially in the Scotch Creek/Lee Creek department. It is currently below mandatory levels, which could result in higher property insurance for everyone in the fire protection area. See: https://t.co/T6SSoFLJk2 pic.twitter.com/E5zvfITbo6
— CSRD (@ColShuRegDist) February 11, 2020
In a Feb. 11 news release, the CSRD states the current number of Scotch Creek/Lee Creek firefighters is enough to provide “adequate response time to emergencies.” However, the Celista Fire Department is being called upon to supplement the fire response in Scotch Creek.
Sutherland says the goal now is to increase the number of Scotch Creek/Lee Creek firefighters so that the department is “healthy and sustainable.”
“The volunteer firefighters we have are truly dedicated to the safety of their community and they are working very diligently to ensure the community has a good emergency response every time a call comes in,” said Sutherland. “We don’t want to burn out those hard-working volunteers.”
Read more: White Lake firefighters go beyond call of duty with construction project
Read more: BC firefighters to help battle Australian bushfires
Benefits of being a firefighter, adds Sutherland, include the fact all CSRD firefighters are paid on-call for their work, training and mileage.
“Firefighters get to give back to their communities in rewarding ways,” said Sutherland. “They provide community leadership and have the opportunity to build strong skills in firefighting, equipment operating, and administration while enjoying time with other dedicated community members.
More information can be found on the CSRD website, or by calling 250-833-5955.
