New Truck Committee

Assistant Chief Barney has put up a posting for interested members to sign up for the new truck committee. This apparatus will replace the outgoing Engine 204 who has served us well for over 25 years now. Tentative replacement date is set for January 2012. Anyone interested should contact AC Barney or sign up on the board. This drawing is one of the ideas we have in mind for a replacement vehicle.

Year End Review

Well the end of 2010 is upon us and as I look back, it seems we accomplished many things this year. Some of them were even related to emergency services. Here is a brief overview of some of this years trials, tribulations and accomplishments:

1. One of the biggest news items for Sooke Fire Rescue this year was moving to seven day a week coverage by career staff. We now have (most days) a minimum of two career members on duty seven days a week from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. This is a huge increase over previous years on the old M-F 8:30 to 4:30 schedule. This was due mostly to the hiring of two additional firefighters(one a new position and the second to replace the vacant position that was put off for a year)
2. On an equally positive note, twenty new volunteers came on strength. This is the largest recruit class ever held in department history and puts us over the top on staffing. Lets hope these folks are with us for a while.
3. Rick Mcleod was promoted to Deputy Chief this year while Matt Barney became Assistant Chief. Ben Patterson and Chris McCrea were appointed as Lieutenants and Murray Lambert was promoted to Captain. (Congratulations again) It is these dedicated officers that help make this place work so efficiently
4. Several serious fires took place this year. Some of these were arson and had the potential for major disaster. All were handled very professionaly by responding crews without any serious injury. A great accomplishment.
5. A new command vehicle was purchased this year and a replacement for truck 209 was ordered and should be here in early 2011. The DOS also acquired two vehicles that are now equipped with snow removal equipment to facilitate the cleaning of the apron and parking areas of essential service facilities
6. The ESS program continues to build and improve. Municipal staff received basic training in EOC operations. This is a great benefit to the community in times of disaster. The amateur radio group received some new equipment and is also a vital part of our emergency services family
7. A dedicated group of volunteer firefighters spent a week serving at the Winter Olympics as a fire suppression time at one of the venues. A chance in a life time for those that participated. Speaking of the Olympics, fire department personnel were instrumental in designing, constructing, transporting and assembling the great Ozone Display that was set up on BC Streets in Richmond for the Olympics. Tens of thousands of people strolled down our recreation of the boardwalk. This display was also set up at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Show and the Sooke Rotary Auction.
8. In an effort to become more green, the fire department took on the challenge of lowering our carbon footprint. We just had the fire station and municipal hall switched from propane to natural gas, changed the fire trucks to bio diesel, bought a slightly used hybrid vehicle for a command vehicle and will soon have all the lighting changed to a more energy efficient system.
9. The public education members taught an impressive number of concerned citizens, many aspects of fire safety. From tours for preschoolers, to fire extinguisher training, to car seat installation, to safety in the workplace, to safety in the kitchen or for whatever their need may be, the volunteers that make up this group contributed many hours to make this community a safer place to be.
10. And our latest triumph. In combination with Otter Point, Shirley and East Sooke FD we raised more money and gathered more food for the food bank during our Christmas blitz than any other year. A superb effort by all.

And my final note here, even though I am sure there are many more items that could be discussed, I would like to thank each member of the department for their contributions this year. Without your participation, this emergency service would not exist. To all the Recruits, Firefighters, Officers, Pub Ed members, ESS and EOC Volunteers a great big thank you. Have a Happy New Year and may 2011 be a safe a prosperous year.

"Sparky" has left the building

("SPARKY" as Unit 210 when new)

After almost 20 years of faithful service, the old Chevy Suburban has been sold. This vehicle began its life with Sooke FD in 1993 as Unit 210 and was assigned to Fire Chief Ric Raynor. This was a big step up from the old S-10 pickup that was the previous Chiefs vehicle. This rig served us well as not only a command unit, but as a transport vehicle for training courses, manpower unit for calls and as a first responder car. Even the pub ed division got to use it for a while and it was adorned with Sparky Logos (hence its nickname "SPARKY") It later moved downstairs

and became the primary and only vehicle for the Engineering Division. Now with the purchase of two newer vehicles for Engineering, it was time to turn in the keys. With a trade in value of $2500.00 it was hard to say no. So for those old timers in the department that responded to many calls in this truck, it is time to say goodbye.

Haz Mat Call

Firefighters and DOS Engineering Staff responded to a reported fuel spill in the pond located in the Stone Ridge Subdivision. A large oily sheen was seen across much of the perimeter of the waterway. Upon closer inspection, the substance appeared to have a tar like consistancy. The haz mat trailer was brought to the scene and containment booms were placed at the intake and discharge ends of the stream. A large quantity of absorbent pads were placed around the edge of the pond while garden rakes and shovels were used to collect the tar and place into buckets for disposal. The spill was traced back to a construction site further up the hill where a 20 liter pail of foundation tar had spilled into the storm drain. This had worked its way into the creek and then into the pond. Fortunately it was only one small container and crews were able to stop the leak from spreading further downstream. Booms and pads were left overnight with some collected the next day. Two booms are still in place at each end to pick up any residual material that may be trapped in the piping system leading to the pond. These will be picked up next week.

Chimney Fire Season

Sooke Fire Rescue Service has experienced an increase in chimney fires these past couple of weeks. Four in the past week alone. One chimney suffered considerable damage and will likely need some major repairs. These others were quickly extinguished with no additional problems. So if you have a fireplace or woodstove in your home, perhaps it is time to get it checked out and cleaned if necessary. After all, you know there will be no teasing if a fire department member has to call its own fire department to respond.

Fast moving fire destroys mobile home

Sooke firefighters were called out for a structure fire at about 5:30 pm on Friday December 17 to a mobile home on McMillan Road. Located on Reserve# 2, crews arrived to find very heavy fire from the front and sides of the well involved home. First arriving Engine 1 established a water supply and then using a preconnect attempted to knock down the fire in the front of the trailer. Ladder 1 arrived immediately behind and set up the aerial for overhead lighting and assisted Engine 1 crew. Engine 2 arrived and brought a second line into the rear door to push the fire out the windows as well as searching for any possible victims. (It was later determined that the one of the occupants was in Alberta and the other was in Victoria Christmas shopping. The fire was knocked down quickly but the fire had taken its toll. Damage was extensive with the front half of the mobile completely burnt through including the floor. The rear section suffered extensive heat, smoke and water damage. The unit is not salvageable. The occupant returned later that night and is staying with relatives overnight. Invetigators will be returning to the scene in the morning to try to determine a cause. The occupants were not insured.

Tenants actions prevent major fire

What could have been a major fire incident was avoided when tenants awoke to the sound of a fire burning outside their home. A large pile of lumber and brush was burning around and under an old delivery van and only a few feet away from a very large wooden building. Quickly calling 911, the occupants used a garden hose to contain the fire. Firefighters arrived to find a sizeable brush fire (Yes you can get a brush fire at 4:30 in the morning in December when it is raining). Engine 1 was brought in and the fire was quickly controlled, however it took about 30 minutes of overhauling the area to ensure that all the hot spots were out. The cause of the fire appears to have been the use of cutting torch earlier that day that must have produced sparks that ignited some old wood and then smouldered for hours before breaking out. Just goes to show how careful one must be when doing this type of work.

Another alarm for the smell of smoke in a structure at a new home on Steeplechase brought a quick response from Sooke Firefighters. Nothing was found and the likely cause was an unused baseboard heater being turned on for the first time and the dust burning off.

News of the Week

A few things of interest to report. Item 1 - After the last snowfall and the lack of any real effort to keep the fire stations clear of snow a request was made to council to purchase a snow plow blade to attach to 208. This vehicle was originally purchased with a suspension to support this application but no blade ever made it through the budget process. With the prediction of a lot of snow to come this year, council approved the purchase. A new 8 foot blade as well as a salt spreader was ordered and should be here anytime. Once installed we will use it to keep municipal and emergency facilities clear of snow and if time permits, possibly the transit park and ride areas too. This should really help prevent many of the slips and falls we saw in the parking lot with the last snow fall. Speaking of 208, an estimate of $2600.00 was obtained to repair the hole in the side of the truck caused when it impacted a traffic cone during a response. Instead of the repair a used utility body was obtained for only $2000.00. We had already budgeted for a new one in 2011, so this used unit will save considerable money as well as negating the expense of the repairs. With a little work, this should look as good as new.

Truck 209 is nearing the end of its life as an emergency vehicle in Sooke. Our truck replacement policy currently states that utility vehicles will be replaced at ten years of age. As 209 is a 2001 model, it was to be disposed of and a new truck purchased in 2011. Coincidentaly, Shirley Fire Department was in the market for a used command vehicle as they have been told by their insurers that the Chief can no longer respond in his personnel vehicle as an emergency vehicle. A deal was struck and this truck will be in Shirley FDs hand any day now. (just waiting for the check to arrive) As such a new 2011 pickup has been ordered and will arrive in about 10 to 12 weeks. In the interim, the Sun River crew will not have a vehicle and will have to respond to Station 2 until the new truck is placed in service. With the much lower price of pick up trucks these days, this new vehicle came in considerably under budget.

Another planning meeting was held for the upcoming VIEP Conference to be held at the Prestige Hotel in April. This will be the first conference in the new facility. Deputy Mcleod has been spending time with the organizing committee as the local contact getting everything ready. The Vancouver Island Emergency Prepardness Conference will take place from Friday April 15 to Sunday April 17. An itenary will be posted. If anyone is interested in attending some or all of the event, please let us know. A sign up list will be posted soon. (May 2012 we will be hosting the Fire Prevention Officers of BC conference at the Prestige Hotel)

Saturday the recruit class will be doing their practical exam. If successful they will be receiving their pagers and keys. An exciting time for this large class of new firefighters. Lets give them a nice welcome and assist them on calls when they start responding this weekend.

Another Fire

November 28, Sooke Fire Rescue pagers were activated for a reported structure fire on Tominny Road. Eager volunteers jumped from their warm beds and raced to the scene at 1:24 am. The duplex was being evacuated on arrival. Engine 1 came straight in and was followed by Ladder 1. A 1 3/4 inch line was pulled and crews advanced to the second floor and the master bedroom where thick smoke made visibility almost impossible. A supply line was laid to the nearest hydrant but proved unneccessary as the attack team managed to extinguish the fire with very minimal water (an excellent job by the way) The fire was contained to the mattress with some small burning on the floor immediately adjacent. An unattended candle appears to be the cause as it looks like it tipped over and set the carpet and bed on fire. The parents of two small children were asleep in the bed. It seems that the six year old boy woke up to use the bathroom, saw the smoke and banged on the door to wake up his parents. The two children were quickly removed without injury. They were very fortunate to get out as there were no smoke alarms in the dwelling. If the little boy had not awoken, the out come may have been much more tragic. A great job to all the firefighters in attendance.

Poirier School damaged by flooding

Crews were called out at 9:00 pm on November 26 for alarm bells activated at Poirier School. On arrival, the fire alarm was sounding. Immediately noticed upon opening the door was a pool of water heading towards firefighters. Seeing no smoke or flames, it was quickly determined that a water pipe had burst. This turned out to be a sprinkler pipe in Room 1131. As the door was open, approximately 4 to 5 inches of water began rushing out the opening. The door was quickly closed. With the sprinkler system being shut off, crews went around to the outside door to the classroom and opened it up to let the water escape to the outside. All available members were then put to work to start removing water. Approximately 60% of the school had water on the floor. While investigating the break in the pipe, a large section of ceiling came down on top of Firefighter Stanley, injuring his back and shoulder. He was attended to by EHS personnel and was told to stop being such a baby. (sorry Neil) With water, water everywhere, additional personnel were needed and a call was made to the recruit class for more assistance. With their help along with school district personnel, the water was removed and crews cleared the scene just before Midnight. Cause was determined to be lack of draining a section of the dry sprinkler pipe when maintenance was done in the summer. The pipe froze (actually in two places) and broke.

Mutual Aid Fire in Shirley

Sooke and Otter Point Fire Departments were called out for a mutual aid fire in Shirley District on November 25 around the lunch hour. A fully involved workshop with a large propane tank exposure greeted firefighters on their arrival. Due to the lack of water pressure in the hydrant system, tankers were also used to suplement the water supply through a very long relay system. The 250lb tank was close enough to the fire that all of the valves and controls had melted resulting in the tank venting itself. Crews worked for several hours to gain control and extinguish the fire.

Winter Arrives

Well its here. Winter has arrived with a blast. So far it has been fairly quiet on the roads in Sooke, but elsewhere seems to be lots of problems. Currently 206 and 207 are chained up and 201 and 205 have Insta Chains so hopefully this is enough to get us through. In any event, use extreme caution when responding.

On a sad note, Lone Butte Fire Department has reported that one of their volunteer firefighters has died in a car crash while responding in his personnel vehicle to the station for a chimney fire. I am sure all our hearts go out to the family and department members in this tragic time.

It's been a busy week for Sooke Firefighters. A chimney fire on Church Road had crews working off the aerial ladder to access the chimney. No serious issues, however we are having some difficulties with the cover over the electrical system on the ladder itself. It is slowly coming apart at the seems. This should be covered under warranty and is being sent for repairs soon. An alarm bells call at the Chevron Station was likely the result of burnt dust in the heating system. A thorough check could not find anything amiss. The same could be told for a possible gas leak at the Shoppers Drug Mart. Another search found nothing. And again today, a reported gas leak as Sooke Disposal could not locate a source of the odour.

Don't forget the food bank collection coming up soon. This Saturday (Nov 27) we hope to have firefighters, municipal staff and others out in front of Village and Western Foods from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm to collect non perishable items for the food bank. This will again take place on Dec 11 at the same times. Unfortunately these are busy dates as the Haz Mat course is also on the 27th and the recruit practical tests will take place on the 11th.

What's New?

Good question. Well here are some things. The "I Am Responding" free trial period is coming to an end. This is the phone in system for reporting if you are attending calls. While not many of you are using this, I think it still a great idea, however if it is not going to be used, are we just putting out money for nothing. We need to make a decision fairly soon, so let me know what you think. Should we try it for another year or let it lapse?

We are in the process of selecting a new vehicle to replace 209. We have narrowed down the choices to a 4 door pickup, similar to the new one that is now 211. Waiting for prices from Ford, GM and Dodge to see what is the best deal. Since we have sold 209 to Shirley, we may be short one vehicle for a little while. This may require us to remove a vehicle from Sun River in the interm or the FR Duty Crew will have to use one of the Station Apparatus. Will make a decesion on this soon.

Last nights windstorm may have been a bit of a precursor as to what is coming this winter. Just last week we ran a training session with the Municipal Staff on how to run an EOC during a disaster. A windstorm was the topic we chose for this table top exercise. Lots was learned and more training is coming. If you are interested in being a part of this, please let me know and I will put you on the mailing list. Speaking of disasters and emergency prepardness, we have an electrical engineer coming in on Friday to design the system for the Community Hall to allow us to plug in the big portable generator so that this facility can be set up a Reception Centre and Emergency Housing in times of crisis. We have also established a relationship with Ayre Manor who will allow us to prepare meals in their large commercial kitchen in such times. As this building has a full emergency generator, it is a perfect set up for this type of situation.

Estimates to repair Engine 204 range from $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 plus it will have to be taken out of service for about 2 months to get the work done. This would mean we may have to rent a truck in the interim. An awful lot of money to put into a 25 year old truck. It is hoped that we can come up with a budget plan that will allow us to order a replacement in 2011 for delivery in early 2012. If this is the case, we will not do any work that is not necessary for safety reasons to the rig and hope it can last out the next year, rather than the 4 years we were originally hoping for.

Motor Vehicle Incidents continue to Pile Up.

Another MVI on Tuesday night took the combined efforts of all available fire personnel as well as several RCMP units and 4 ambulances. Crews were called out to a roll over MVI with persons trapped. On arrival, an older model Chev Pick up was located upside down and over the bank across from the arena on Phillips Road. The vehicle was completely upside down and pancaked while resting against a large tree. The passenger of the vehicle was outside of the truck but stuck, partly under the truck and a log. The driver was located with his legs wrapped aroung the steering wheel and his head wedged between the seat top and the roof. Both were conscious. The passenger was quickly freed after some quick extrication work with a chain saw. The driver was another matter. Using the winch of R-1 along with air shores, the vehicle was carefully lifted away from the tree to allow rescuers access to the victim. The Jaws were used to cut the A and B posts and with some careful maneuvering, the driver was removed from the vehicle. Both victims were taken to hospital in ALS ambulances, however the most serious injury turned out to be a large laceration on the head and back of the driver. An RCMP Traffic Analyst was brought down to look into the incident. Charges may be pending.

Motor Vehicle Incidents

Seems that motor vehicle incidents are the common call right now. Friday had a two car, head on crash located in the 5500 block of Sooke Road that brought traffic to a stand still for over an hour. A total of 6 patients were transported to hospital. Luckily none of the injuries were life threatening. This was followed by another head on crash in the 2100 block of Otter Point Road when a vehicle travelling to fast in the 30 km zone, crossed the line and collided with an oncoming car. This time, there were no injuries thanks to air bags, but both vehicles sustained major front end damage. While directing traffic, another vehicle thought it could make a u-turn. Unfortunately, this vehicle ended up in the ditch when the driver didn't quite make the turn. (Oops) Let's hope that these incidents are not the sign of something to expect over the winter months.

On a more positive note, we have acquired a new (used) service body for Batallion 1 to replace the damaged pickup box. While the body requires some work and a paint job, it is significantly cheaper than a new body. It will take a little while to get the unit operational, however it should prove to be a much better use of the truck when completed.

Squad 1 (unit 209) was due for replacement in 2011 as it will be ten years old. The Shirley FD has made an offer on the truck that was accepted and this unit will be sold to them before the end of the year. We will be purchasing a replacement vehicle in early 2011, however there is some debate as to what is the best vehicle to replace this with. Should it be another pick up truck, 2 door or 4 door or an SUV. There are good reasons for each so this needs some careful thought as whatever is purchased will have to serve the department for the next 10 years. Also soon to disposed of is old 210 (Sparky). The old command vehicle was turned over to Engineering a few years ago and will soon be disposed of. Anyone in need of a Suburban? I am sure we can get you a great deal.

Pierce Tour

It was a long but exciting trip as Chris, Benny and I visited the Pierce Fire Truck factory in Appleton, Wisconsin this past week. We toured three different plants where various components and complete fire trucks are built. Things were a little slow at the plant these days, as there were only 400 custom fire trucks going through the assembly line. (the commercial chassis trucks are built at another plant in Florida) The tour started at the main plant where the fire trucks are assembled. Cabs are mated to chassis, pump bodies are installed, the cabinets and water tanks put in place as well as all other components that make up a complete fire truck. At the second factory, the cabs, pump housings and bodies are constructed. This plant also had several large rescue trucks under construction. Here the ladders and towers are also installed on the chassis. Airport crash trucks are also built here including 37 units for Pakistan. The third plant on the tour was located about 60 miles away. Here the ladders are assembled and painted (approximately 1 complete ladder assembly per day) This plant also builds equipment for Caterpillar, military vehicles, snow blowers for airports and marine hoists used to transport and move boats of all sizes. A lot of diversity in these places. The Pierce Company and WFR (the local distributor) where awesome hosts. All of our travel, meals and accomodation were all taken care of. In Wisconsin, they like their deep fried food. Even tried a deep fried fillet steak.
As for Pierce Trucks, these are quite impressive units. Air bags are located in the cabs as well as roll over protection and advanced suspension systems to provide additional vehicle stability. Many new and interesting ideas where gathered that we can certainly incorporate into future apparatus when the time comes to order new equipment. Note the Canadian Flag on two of the fire trucks pictured. One is going to New Westminster and the other to Saskatoon.

USE OF GYM

Several people have responded to the poll over use of the gym. The consensus of most respondants so far is to have individuals pay by user. While we may also consider a family rate, it appears that this is the way we will go (unless I hear from a lot of you to go a different route). If this is in fact, the way we go, anyone using the gym will be required to pay an annual fee. The lock will be changed to accomodate only users that have paid. This money will be used to cover the cost of cleaning the gym, servicing the equipment and hopefully put a little something away to cover the cost of new or replacement equipment. This will all take place on January 1 provided I have no other overwhelming response.

Major Fire Lights up the NIght Sky

At 9:28 pm, on October 26, Sooke pagers were activated for a reported structure fire. First on scene, I observed a large, two storey barn at the Cherry Lane Equine Centre heavily involved in fire. Several people were on site, quickly moving horses away from the rapidly burning structure. Also seen were 3 or 4 people existing the top floor carrying objects in their hands. Later it was determined these young people had seen the fire while passing by, new of the barn and had rushed in to rescue a family of cats. (Note the stairs in the photo. This is where minutes earlier several people were seen existing with armloads of cats)

With the fire rapidly spreading and an all clear for anyone or animals in the building, I made the quick determination that this would be a defensive fire. Having been told there were upwards of 2000 bales of hay inside, it would not be possible to send firefighters inside. First arriving was Engine 2 with 3 firefighters. This team grabbed the hydrant at Sooke and Ludlow and laid in approximately 700 feet of 4 inch hose to reach the fire. Using a 2 1/2 inch hand line, the crew in the photo worked the B side of the structure. With assistance from Squad 2, the deck gun was also put into operation. Next arriving Engine 1 and Ladder 1 moved in. Ladder 1 set up for aerial master stream operations directly behind Engine 2. Engine 1 laid in an additional 2 1/2 line from the hydrant to supply additional water. Two more handlines were deployed, one to the A side and one on the D side. With all of the lines flowing and more water required, another water source was required. The decision to shut down Sooke Road was made and Engine 1 laid in another 4 inch supply line from the hydrant at the Shell station. Now flowing approximately 2000 gallons a minute, the water proved to be no match for the fire and the building was rapidly consumed despite the best efforts of all firefighters. An excavator was brought in to bring the remains of the building down and to access the hundreds of burning hay bales. Crews finally cleared the scene at 02:30 hours and left the station just after 3:00 am. The following morning, crews returned to the scene to extinguish the many hot spots still burning within the hay. A total of 24 firefighters manning 3 master streams, 1 - 2 1/2" and 2 - 1 3/4" lines proved no match for this massive fire. Crews were successful in keeping the fire from spreading and protecting exposures. Insurance investigators were on scene that afternoon. Suspected causes include the possibility of spontaneous combustion in a damp bale of hay or an electrical problem, however due to the extent of damage, the actual cause may prove difficult to determine.

For additional photos, check out Derek Lewers website at www.datastorms.com/barnfire1

Incident Response Poll

I thought I would provide some more clarity regarding the incident response poll I sent out by email yesterday. First off, we are not trying to stop the volunteer firefighters from attending, rather we are trying to eliminate the more mundane types of calls from your rather busy lives. If this goes ahead it would mean that the less serious medical calls, simple clean ups and burning complaints would not be paged out during regular work hours as the day staff would be able to handle these on their own. Not to say if a volunteer were in the station, they couldn't go - in fact I would encourage them to attend if they so choose. For any serious type call including MVIs, alarm bells, structure fires, brush fires, cardiac arrest etc an all call page will go out at ALL TIMES. If we are short on day staff due to a training course, holidays or sick days, an ALL PAGE will go out. If we find at the call or en route to the call additional information that more help will be needed, another page out will be initiated. If a second call comes in at the same time, another page will go out. So I ask you to think carefully and consider what I have mentioned above. If you would like to change your mind on what you have already sent me on the poll, please send another email. As I indicated, it will be a simple majority rule on how this is handled. It appears that there are people with strong feelings for either way of handling this, so I will let you decide what is best.

I will emphasize however that this is an emergency response business. We will dispatch to calls in the most effective and timely manner that is possible. When an apparatus has a suitably equipped and trained crew for the incident it will leave the station as soon as possible. If additional apparatus can be staffed and are required, then they will also respond. Remember, we are here to serve the customer (the person that calls 911).

By the way, the poll currently sits at 9 for changing to page out only when required and 6 have replied to maintain the current system and page out for everything.

Burning Issues

Today seemed to be the day for burning questions, even though it was not a burning day. Still a lot of confusion as to when and where you can burn. So for all you Sooke Fire Members and anyone else caring to know, these are the regulations.

Burning is permitted any day from October 1 to April 30 provided the VENTING INDEX is rated GOOD. On properties less than 2 acres, you can have one pile up to 2 x 2 x 1 m in size. (6'x6'x3' ) for those non metric people. On properties larger than 2 but less than 5 acres, your pile can be 2x2x2 m in size (or two smaller piles) On properties more than 5 acres in size, your pile can be 2 x 3 x 3 m in size (6 x 9 x 9 ft) or roughly the size of a dumptruck load.

For those wanting a burn pile larger than listed above, you must have a minimum of 10 acres of property and you must obtain a Class A burning permit at a fee of $50.00. This allows you to burn for 72 hours provided the Venting Index is GOOD the day you burn and predicted to be GOOD or FAIR the second day. There are no other exceptions. After 72 hours the fire must be extinguished. Your fire must also follow all of the Ministry of Environment Guidelines. This means the fire must be a 100 m from neighbouring homes, and 500 m from a day care, adult care facility, hospital or school in session. A person may obtain up to 4 permits per property per year and they must be a minimum of 15 calendar days apart. The burn pile must also be inspected by the fire department to ensure that all of the guidelines listed are in place.

Penalties for not complying with the burning bylaw are $200.00 for the first offence and $400.00 for repeat offences.

If a fire truck is called to put out the fire, the fee is $600.00 per hour for an engine and $180.00 per hour for the tender or one of the duty vehicles. This is on top of the fine listed above.

So to make this easy, check the Venting Index. If it is GOOD, you can burn. (but not tires, drywall, manure, bodies, cars, boats or GARBAGE) That is also a $200.00 fine.

Chimney Fire Season is Here

The first of the chimney fires occured this weekend. It appears we may be in for a cold winter this year, so this is likely only the beginning of a winter trend. Please remember to take it easy on the roof during this cold period. If you are on the aerial ladder, ensure that you are wearing a fall restraint system. If you are on the roof itself, use a roof ladder. Remember to place tarps whereever possible to prevent muck and debris from tracking through the home and don't forget the fan to keep the smoke from penetrating throughout the home. Follow the basic safety rules and everyone should go home safely.

Recruit Class Update

It appears the recruit class keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last week we welcomed aboard Kirby. She is from the Station 2 area so as you all know, members in this area are hard to come by, so we have taken her on immediately. Also Vince will now be attending calls - you may have already seen him on two or three. He has 17 years experience in fire departments as well as being employeed as a paramedic with BC Ambulance. Take a moment to introduce yourself. Almost all of the recruit class managed to attend training this past Saturday to receive extra time in their SCBA units. This will undoubtably assist them as they progress through their training and will likely be only the first of a few sessions where they can get used to having this strapped to their back. We are still looking for members to assist on Wednesday nights with the recruit training. All you need to do is show up. With such a large class, all the help we can get is much appreciated.

Things are a little crowded in the station right now with all of the new recruits trying to find a spot to hang their gear. I will be constructing additional turn out gear lockers when time permits so please be patient. Cam is almost finished with the painting of the lockers for the ladies change room. This will provide a little additional floor space in the near future.

Sad News

I am sad to report that Delaney passed away on Sunday, October 10 as a result of her illness. A total of $2950.00 was raised along with an additonal $200.00 donation from the Shirley Fire Department. This was passed on to the family on Friday. I am sure that they will put this to good use. Our sympathies to the Dunlop Family

Help for Delany

Have you seen Bob and Pat Hudson with their shiny new hair do's? Some of you may be wondering what this is about. Well it seems, Bob opened his mouth and offered to dye his hair if we could raise $500.00 during the annual firefighter banquet to help Delany. (She is the 19 year old daughter of Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop and she has terminal cancer.) Generous firefighters and guests quickly raised $500.00 for the cause at the dinner. It was then announced that the "Paid Staff" as well as Pat Hudson would do their hair if we hit $1000.00. Thanks to a $500.00 donation by the Firefighters Association, this amount was surpassed by three dollars. Look to see the paid guys with coloured hair coming soon. If you would like to contribute or help in the fundraising effort, a hot dog and calendar sale will take place at Western Foods on Saturday, October 9th from 11:00 to 2:00 pm. Since this was announced, we have already raised an additional $500.00. Way to go.

Sooke Seniors move into Fire Station

At the end of the year, it will appear that the Sooke Firefighters Association will double in size as the Sooke Seniors Group move into the Lounge and kitchen area. Thanks to a very generous donation on the part of the firefighters, the soon to have no home, Sooke Seniors will be allowed to use the lounge during the daytime 3 days a week. In return, the seniors group will have the rooms professionaly cleaned twice a week and allow firefighters to attend their luncheon meetings. (you can also play bingo if you want). This is expected to last for approximately 18 months as the group awaits plans for a new home in the Sooke core area.

News and information update

It appears that this years annual banquet was quite a success. Those in attendance were entertained by a musical trio playing in the lounge upon entering the building. Each lady was presented with a flower. The room was nicely decorated with flowers and gifts galore. Many thanks to Linda Bennett (and Bob) for all the work they did to get this organized. After a fabulous dinner provided by Moms Cafe, members and guests were entertained by Mr. Darrell Thompson, a relatively unkown by extremely humours foreign comic. The man has talent as he regailed the crowd with stories of a certain firefighter dropping his helmet a couple of times, followed by a story on how he was conceived in a VW. Many tears were shed as people could not help but laugh. Awards were then presented by Training Officer Barney, Mayor Evans and Chief Sorensen for all of the courses completed by the firefighters. This was followed by special awards with Darrell receiving Recruit of the Year, Elaine Kouwenberg for Safety Educator of the Year, Ben Patterson for Firefighters of the Year. As is the custom, special guest Bill Stephenson was brought up to present the annual Officer of the Year award. He was actually speechless when he was presented the honour in the form of a full Fire Chiefs Helmet complete with his name, rank and years of service on the front piece. This was followed by a bouquet presentation to Ruby Stephenson. Dessert was scrumptious, prizes were given to all firefighters and then a social evening followed where more draw prizes were made available to those in attendance. Length of Service awards were also presented for 10 years service to firefighters Bob Bennett, Glenn Harrison and Captain Shane Burket. For fifteen years service, Firefighter Tom Warran and Assistant Chief Matt Barney received special awards. Thanks to all those that attended. It was indeed a very special evening.

Try Again

As it appears by last posting disappeared and all that remains is the title, I will try again.

First off - The Fire Investigation Seminar was a huge success. This can be directly attributed to all of the time and effort put in by members of Sooke Fire Rescue Service and a few District of Sooke Staff. We have received numerous compliments on the food, our hospitality, the facilities, the use of the motel and the firefighting tactics used by the firefighters themselves (well except for one small glitch) You should all be extremely proud of your accomplishments. This certainly put Sooke Fire on the map as a very professional group. Well done to you all and thank you for your support.

Heroes in the Sky was another great day. While we didn't sell as many calendars as we hoped, we did raise quite a few $ anyway. The Chili Challenge was awesome, even if the Sooke Fire Crew got ripped off during the judging. They were definitely the best decorated booth. (their chili wasn't bad either) With the calendars that are left, we need to find a way to sell off the remainder. If anyone is interested in sitting outside the mall on a Saturday or Sunday for an hour or two, let me know and I will make arrangements. Maybe a hot dog sale too!

Getting ready for Safe Halloween. The committee has met once so far and the group has expanded. This is a good thing as now with some new faces on the panel, we can share the workload and get more ideas. It seems several haunted house themes are already brewing.

My next project is to work on the grocery bags for the annual Santa Run. We will be partnering with Otter Point, East Sooke and Shirley FDs this year. Last year we collected a ton of food, so lets hope we can do as well or better this year. We will also be setting up the squad in front of the grocery stores as we get closer to Christmas where people will be able to drop of their donations.

Fire Prevention Week is almost here. Oct 5 and 6 will be the Annual Western Communities Fire Expo at the Metchosin Fire Station. Anyone able to assist at the Sooke booth on either day would be appreciated. You can do just a morning or afternoon shift if this works. All helpers are fed a great lunch as well as receiving a t-shirt. This is an important event as every Grade 4 Student in the Sooke School District has the opportunity to learn 8 important safety messages from the experts on hand. We usually see 800 -1000 kids over the two day event.

Information Update

Wet Weather Woes

Well it looks like summer might be over for a while (lets hope there is a part 2) and with that comes the drivers who have difficulty negotiating slick pavement. The first one came in today, just before the supper hour when a late model Mustang went off the road near the Glinz Lake Road intersection, hit a reflective sign post, took out a hydro pole guy wire and then finished up by hitting an old stump. The driver suffered no injuries and the car took the crash surpisingly well, although the front wheel may argue that point somewhat. I am sure this is just the first of more to come as the rainy season is upon us.

The Chilli Challenge and Heroes in the Sky is only a week away. Hopefully you will all be there to support this worthy cause. Even if you can only make it for an hour or two, it would be great to see everyone there. The calendars should be here anytime (maybe even tomorrow). We still need people to hang from the ladder truck. Find a friend, an enemy or even yourself. It's only for an hour and the feeling does come back in your legs.

Lots of new recruits this year. We have interviewed many applicants and if my math is correct, I believe we have accepted 17 so far to begin recruit training. There are still another 3 or 4 to interview, but they are all at sea at the moment, so these will be done upon their return. Going to be one very big class, so anyone that can assist on Wednesday nights will really be appreciated. Three of the new recruits have previous firefighting experience, so they will be given pagers and keys as soon as they have completed the orientation portion of the training. We will post all the names and platoon assignments for you to see. Let's welcome them all to Sooke Fire Rescue Service.

Congratulations

Congratulations are in order as Murray Lambert has been promoted to the rank of Captain. As such, a review of A and B Platoons rosters will be completed. There may be some shuffling of bodies to even out the qualificiations of those members assigned to these platoons. Stay tuned.

News of the day

Another new map has been posted on the wall in the alarm. This is the most up to date and complete map covering the District of Sooke as well as adjoining areas. Many thanks to Leah and Brian from our GIS Division for all their work on this. A similar map will be placed at Station 2 in the near future. You may have also noted all the paper attached to the window in the alarm room. These are floor and / or site plans of all the current building or development projects underway within the municipality. This will be updated on a regular basis, so it is in your best interest to familiarize yourselves with the material on display.

Recruiting is going extremely well. To date, we have had 14 candidates do their agility test and complete the interview process. Another five are scheduled for tonight. Did you know that if we want to add additional volunteer firefighters to our roster (over and above what we already are budgeted for) it costs approximately $5000.00 per volunteer for the first year of service and then about $2,000.00 per year thereafter. To put this in perspective, if we want to go from the current 50 members (45 in suppression) to 60 members, it will cost an additional $50,000.00 the first full year they join and then $10,000.00 per each year after.

A reminder to all the officers that we will be starting officer meetings again, the first one of the fall will be on September 7th. We will then meet every second month, on the second Tuesday of each month. Fire Office 1 Training also starts up again, with the first session of the new season on September 28th and then the fourth Tuesday of each month. Pub Ed Committee will also start meeting again on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month.

Station 2 Update

Well, after years of discussion, time spent acquiring parts, and trying to find all the pieces to make it come together, the new Station 2 sign is finally done. And if I do say so myself, it looks awesome. Thanks are due to many people, including firefighters and DOS staff, but in particular, I must thank Chris for the great landscaping job and the donation of the logs. Also, thanks to West Coast Collision for painting the crane parts and VI Propane for lifting up the crane. If you haven't been to see it yet, it is worth a trip next time you are in that area.

Fresh Start - New Look

Thought I would try a new look to the blog since I am starting over. What do you think?

Lots of big things happening in little old Sooke. There have been several meetings and things are looking very favourably to launch a community radio station in Sooke. We are hoping for an official launch at the upcoming Chilli Challenge where the name and a contest for a logo will be unveiled............stay tuned.

Tomorrow DOS staff will be meeting with representatives of Tofino Air. This company is investigating the possibility of providing direct seaplane flights to Sooke. This could be huge news for the tourism industry.

Work has started on a new salmon hatchery and interpretive centre. This will be constructed on Charters Creek and be accessible from Sooke River Road and the Galloping Goose. This could be a huge benefit to Sooke as not only a tourist site, but as a learning centre for area schools.

An RFP (request for proposal) has gone out for interested parties to bid on completing a Community Wildfire Assessment Plan. This was a joint proposal between Sooke and the CRD. This plan will outline all of the hazards and possible mitigation plans for the entire Sooke to Port Renfrew area as well as Willis Point and the Malahat. A $100,000.00 grant was obtained for this project.

Four large hose reels have been acquired at a very reasonable price. You may wonder what these are to be used for. No, it is not for fire hose, rather these will be located at area marinas and possibly on a truck body to contain the absorbent and containment booms that we have stored at various sites in the community. This will allow quick deployment of these booms in the event of a spill of fuel or other hazardous materials into the Sooke Harbour or Basin.

The Fire Within Calendars

The Fire Within Calendars have gone to press and should arrive here shortly. Now is the time to start preselling these to friends and family. $20.00 each buys you a great calendar and will support many of the fire departments causes.

Back in the Saddle

To all of you that have wondered what happened with the blog, here goes another attempt. I will try to keep this up to date at least weekly so give me a couple of weeks to catch up.

First off, the recruiting drive has gone very well. We now have close to 20 applicants. There will be an open house this Tuesday (24th) for all the potential candidates to bring their families in for an orientation session. Anyone wishing to be here to show them around would be welcome. Uniforms please. The first recruit class session will begin on September 15th

Work has started on the Mariners Landing Development. As you are all aware, we will be hostihng approximately 100 students for a Fire Investigation Level 2 course using the old motel for the training. This will all take place the week of Sept 21 to 24. The classroom sessions will be held in Council Chambers and the live burn session will take place on the 22nd at the motel. On the Sunday and Monday (19th and 20th) we will be conducting several preburns on the site to prepare it for the students. Anyone able to assist with fire attack on either of these days would be appreciated. We also need a crew on the Wednesday to put out the fires. The Lounge will be open each evening from Monday to Thursday to entertain the students and instructors. On Thursday, the Association will be hosting a bbq dinner for all of the participants. Please make an effort to be here as much as possible. On Wednesday night, the 17 Mile House has given us a super deal on night zip lining. This open to all Sooke Firefighters too and at a cost of only $55.00 per person. There will be a sign up list for this.

Don't forget the Annual Firefighter Appreciation Banquet on October 2nd. Make sure you RSVP or you will not get any dinner.

In case you haven't noticed or heard yet, Squad 2 is now parked in Sunriver. This is a result of all the road construction and the difficulty members living in this area have in getting to the fire station with all the road construction. If these proves successful, we may keep the vehicle here. Sunriver crews are reminded that they must call in to the duty officer before proceeding to the incident. They must also be responsible for the weekly truck checks and ensuring the unit is refuelled.

Better Late than Never?

Yes, it has been a while since I updated this so here goes:
First I would like to thank everyone for all the work that has been done lately. To the Recruit Class - a special thanks for an awesome dinner. Very impressive. It appears that all the recruits (except the one with the number 7) were successful and will be passing probation. Congratulations. I would also like to thank the day staff for all the work they have done lately in fire hall and truck maintance. The building has never looked so good. I hear station 2 is next.
Work on the sign for Station 2 is nearing completion. The crane has been sandblasted and will be painted next week. It will then be installed with the log work. This should look impressive I hope and will be one of the features when the Commuinities in Bloom contest comes to town at the end of July.
A great effort by the firefighters that attended the big structure fire on Mt. Matheson last weekend as mutual aid to East Sooke. The building was a total loss despite the best efforts of many. Fortunately nobody was hurt. Sooke crews were able to keep the wildland fire that started as result of falling embers from spreading across the mountain - yes folks, it is getting dry out there. In case you hadn't noticed the burning index is now rated HIGH.
We are in preparation for Canada Day on July 1. It would be great to have a good turnout of firefighters at this event. The recruit class has promised to put in a raft in the annual race to defend last years group effort. Lets all show up and cheer them on. We will also be doing a recruiting drive and fire extinguisher training for the public. That evening will be our annual fireworks display.
August 8th is the Subaru Triathlon through Sooke and Otter Point. Volunteers are needed to help at this event. Please let me know if you can help.
For those of you that have been stuck in one of the great traffic jams in Sooke this past month we can now report that Hydro has completed the majority of their work along the roadway. Work is now taking place on the bridge. Despite the complaints of many citizens, there is little the District of Sooke can do as this is a Provincial Highway and we do not have control over this road. Now that the underground hydro work is done, the repaving will soon begin in our area. Some work has already started near Luxton and the 17 Mile House. Most of the paving work will take place at night so traffic shouldn't be to bad (I hope) We are investigating ways to assist firefighters in getting from their homes to the fire halls in the event of emergencies during this construction period.

Latest Update

I have a bunch of things to report so here goes: First off, for those taking the Fire Officer 1 training course, the new text books are in. Contact me or the Training Officer to get your new edition. This should certainly make finding the homework a lot easier.

Congratulations again to Cam as he starts his first day of work with the District of Sooke. He certainly is off on the right foot as he brought in homemade cookies - Hint, Hint.

July 5th will begin the 4 day on / 4 day off rotation. This will bring about a variety of changes to the department. A discussion on switching the duty officer and FR duty will need to be conducted to determine which direction you would like to go with this. Also, with holidays coming up for the staff, there are several days available for the volunteer firefighters to come in and work a shift. I will be posting a list shortly of the days currently available. This will be updated regularly as new dates are determined.

A new command vehicle has been purchased. We were fortunate in acquiring a slightly used hybrid pickup truck from the Olympics. With only 6,000 km on the odometer it is almost new. The price was really great too as we got it for $19,000.00 off the retail price. When this new vehicle is added to the fleet we will be moving some of the trucks around. The new truck will become Car 1 (unit 211) The current Car 1 (unit 209) will become Squad 1 and be left at Station 1 for use of the day staff and as the First Responder unit for the duty crew at Station 1. (208) Battalion 1 will stay as is and be used by the duty officer (by the way - the water tank has been installed for the summer) Finally, what is currently Squad 1 (unit 210) will be reassigned to Station 2 as Squad 2. This unit will be available for daytime responders from station 2 that are not qualified to drive the heavy apparatus and will also be available to any Station 2 first responder duty crew or for FR calls in general. Not sure how this will work, but we will give it a try for a month or two and then re-evaluate. Oh and on a side note, as the new command vehicle was the last unit is stock, there was new choice in colour. It is a silver / grey colour. We will be placing decals and striping on the truck to show it is a fire department vehicle. Here is where you get to help make a decision - should we just look at some great graphics and striping to make it look like a fire department vehicle or should we have it repainted red to match the fleet. Let me know your opinion.

Several events coming up quickly. The Touch the Truck event will have Engine 11 (204) off to Western Speedway this weekend. Also the Ride for Life will take place on Sunday at EMCS. The Western Foods Anniversary sale last weekend netted over $350.00 for a charity of our choice. Help is still needed for Canada Day. We will be having a recruiting drive as well as offering fire extinguisher training to the public. If you can help, please sign up on the sheet.

Garry and John are looking for new members for the Auto Extrication Team. No experience is neccessary. They are not planning to compete right now, just in getting training. It is only one night a month so if this type of thing intererts you, I encourage you to contact either of them for information.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner has asked BC Fire Departments to submit a list of apparatus and qualified FD personnel that would be interested in fighting fires in the event of major fire situations as some of us went through in Kelowna and other parts of the Province in past years. If you would like to be placed on the eligibility list, please let me know.

I will be away this coming week (leaving Saturday) as I will be attending the BC Fire Chiefs Conference. If you have any questions in my absence, please contact DC McLeod.

News and Information Update

Its been a while since I have had an opportunity to post anything, so here is the latest news.

Cam will be starting his first day on the new job beginning next week. We will spend approximately one month on orientation with him and then the 4 day on / 4 day off shift pattern starts right after Canada Day Holiday - Monday July 5th. There is lots of opportunties for volunteer firefighters to participate in daily activities and additional training time. All you have to do is let us know what you want. Reminder also that there is an opportunity for qualified volunteer firefighters to fill in as holiday and relief staff on weekends and stat days. A sign up sheet will be put up in the training room.

Reminder that Evan Parliament (CAO) will be speaking to the Association this Thursday night.

Call activity seems to have increased as of late. Two structure fires were reported, each on a Friday during the day. The first occured on Friday, May 14th. There were a few tense moments as only the Chief and Deputy were available to respond. We were joined some minutes later by Chris how was finishing up one of his jobs from his past life. Fortunately the fire was contained. A towel thrown over a hologen bathroom light fixture ignited and caused damage to the wall, light fixture and counter top. Some light smoke damage was also evident. About $500.00 in damage. The second fire, the following Friday occured in the morning and was the result of a faulty toaster catching on fire. Luckily the home owner had a large fire extinguisher and was able to knock down the rapidly spreading fire. Fire damage was contained to the kitchen, however significant smoke and dry chemical powder was found throughout the house. Damage will probably be in the $10,000.00+ range for this one. This being the Friday before the long weekend resulted in more firefighters attending with a total compliment of 9 on scene.

An early morning roll over MVI occured on Gillespie Road. The female occupant rolled her pick up truck over and down an embankment. She managed to free herself and crawl up to the roadside where bystanders helped her until emergency services arrived. Injuries were not life threatening.

If you haven't been by the Prestige Hotel lately, the fourth floor is now under construction. This building keeps getting bigger. Site work has now begun at the Evergreen Mall in prepartion for the construction of the new Shoppers Drug Mart. Work on Sooke Road between Charters and Phillips will continue for the next month as BC Hydro installs new underground wiring. As soon as this is completed, the repaving of Sooke Road will begin. Work on the Mariners Landing site is expected to get underway within the next month. This will include a reconfiguration of the Church Road intersection.

The Annual Firefighter Appreciation Banquet has been tentatively set for Saturday, October 16th this year. More information will follow.

Sooke has been selected to host the British Columbia Fire Prevention Officer Convention in May of 2012. This is great news for the community, the convention centre and hotel. The fire department will only have to play a small part in this event as most of the work is done by a committee consisting of FPOABC members.

A large trailer has been purchased to store and transport the District of Sooke display that was featured at the Ozone, the Rotary Auction and at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Show. The trailer it is now in has to go back to the generous owner that lent it to us. It will be in the fire hall for a few days until the load can be transfered and then moved to a suitable storage site.

Some work is planned for both fire stations as part of an energy refit and to meet the "green" requirements set out by the Province. Included will be new low energy light fixtures throughout both buildings and the change from propane to natural gas in Station 1. A new washing machine is now installed in each fire hall for turn out gear cleaning. Do NOT use these for other cleaning chores. Next up will be the installation of emergency power at Station 2. There is also a rush to try to get the Sooke Station 2 sign completed for the upcoming Communities in Bloom judging. Anyone interested in helping on this project - please contact me.

The canopy has been removed from 208 and the water tank and pump installed in anticipation of summer (hard to believe with the current weather). If you are unfamiliar with its operation, please check with one of the staff for a quick lesson or refresher.

Well that's it for now.

Recruits Pass Their Test

Well its finally over. This years recruit class managed to get through the probationary period with hardly a scratch. They began with live fire training at the Prestige Hotel site, moved onto basic training, worked towards their Firefighter Level 1 certification, completed their written exams and now they have successfully completed their practical exams. On to the next class. So here are the newest "FIREFIGHTERS" of Sooke Fire Rescue Service: Congratulations to Darcy, Kevin, Alex, Noah, Kyle and Darrell. Not to leave out Allen, he is also done his probation, but as he was already qualified he did not have to suffer through the exam process. Well done guys and welcome aboard.

Big News

Congratulations to Cam Norris-Jones. With the approval of the budget at council on Monday night, the fifth firefighter position is official. This is great news for the department. Not only does it provide us with another firefighter during the critical day time part of the day when most of the volunteers are out working, it will allow us to provide additional training time on weekends, more opportunities to get out in the public and provide fire and life safety education programs and more opportunities to get those inspections done. It also takes a load off the officers shoulders as they now only have to worry about the night portion of the duty shift as the day time hours will be covered by the paid crew. So, on July 5th, we will be switching to 7 day a week coverage, with crews rotating an 11 hour shift doing a 4 day on, 4 day off rotation. Hopefully this is the start of many great new things to come for the department.

Next Weeks Events

Next week is a busy busy schedule as there are two - count em, two council meetings to attend. This is to enable the 2010 financial plan to be approved as well as several public hearings are also being presented.
Congratulations to this years recruit class on completing their training and also all of their written exams. On to the practical testing this weekend. Best of luck guys. Looking forward to that dinner you will be preparing.
We are about to start another recruiting drive. We are down to 42 members so we have room for eight new persons. If you know of anyone that might make a good candidate, please encourage them to apply.
This weekend is the Great Lioness Duck Race. If you are able to help with the Bounce House, please be at the flats at about 11:30. Next weekend is the grand opening of the Spirit Square and the new Performing Arts Stage at McGregor Park - This will take place on Sunday, May 16th. The FF Association was offered and agreed to run the hot dog and popcorn concession as a fundraiser. Please contact me as to who will be attending. May 29th is Western Foods Anniversary Sale. Again we will be preparing hot dogs and running the bounce house. All proceeds are donated to the Association so a good turnout would be appreciated especially considering how much Western Foods supports our efforts in the community.
McHappy Day was a big success however I did not see any firefighters in attendance. We raised a considerable amount of money for Ronald McDonald House. I even learned how to cook a McDonalds Burger and how to put fries in a container. May be a use for me after this job after all.

Dinner Plans

If you don't have dinner plans or just want to help a good cause, I will be at the Sooke McDonalds on Wednesday, May 5th is support of McHappy Day from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Stop by for a Big Mac or provide a donation to support Ronald McDonald House.

Parking Issues

The District of Sooke along with the local emergency services are looking at all areas where parking is a problem and access for emergency vehicles is difficult. This may include narrow streets with parking on one or both sides, turnarounds and cul de sacs where people are parking, fire lanes, and other emergency access points. We are about to have a strategy meeting on how to deal with these issues. If you know of places where this is a problem, please let me know so we can add these locations to our list.

Committee of the Whole

Last nights COW meeting featured a presentation by Sooke Youth Group on all of the work they have been doing in the community. Lots of inititave shown here and as a fire department, we should continue to support the good work they do. Staff Sergeant Wright gave a talk on policing and the results of their recent audit. He also outlined where they will be concentrating their resources and what the community priorities are.
An application for a Development Permit for the new Shoppers Drug Mart was reviewed by council. This is a rather large building proposed for the Evergreen Mall and will take up almost 18,000 sq feet of space as well as complete reconfiguration of the parking lot, landscaping and entrance way. They hope to have construction completed and doors open by November 25th.

Emergency Prepardness

Two displays, the Rotary Auction at the Arena followed by the Emergency Prepardness Expo at the Juan de Fuca Libaray were well represented by Sooke Firefighters and a handful of ESS personnel. The crew at the Rotary Auction handed out many home prepardness packages to local residents and even had a couple of draw prizes to give away. There seemed to be a lot of interest by local residents in being prepared and what we can offer for assistance. The Emergency Fair the next day in Colwood proved to be a bit of challenge with the cold and blustery weather. Sooke had two of the fire truck bounce houses up and attracted many kids. We also managed to spend some time talking with other ESS groups and viewing their set ups. It was felt that our best course of action is to acquire another trailer and set it up with emergency supplies to be better prepared for disaster relief. We may also be in line for some emergency supplies through Shelter Box and the Rotary Club. More information will follow as that becomes available.

I'm Back

Sorry to have been away for this for a while but things have been rather busy as of late. I will try to give you a summary of things that have happened over the past two weeks. To start with, Chris and I along with Russ Nicks of whale watching fame and Ron of Eagle Eye along with Sean our university student and finally Sarah from the municipal office traveled to Vancouver a couple of weekends ago where we set up the Sooke Booth at the Vancouver Outdoor and Adventure Show. This seemed to be a very popular show as there were thousands of people in attendance, many of whom stopped by the Sooke Booth to visit, talk or find out what was going on. I would have to say it was a huge success. The booth received many compliments and we were invited to take it to several other shows including Tradex at Abbotsford, Calgary and even Toronto. Guess we will have to wait and see on those. With some new refinements, we have cut down construction time to only about 6 or 7 hours now, but it still takes upwards of 4 or 5 hours to dismantle and put away. Many District of Sooke employees got to find out just how much work it is as we set it up again at the Rotary Auction this past weekend. Again, many good reviews as well as finding another use for the "Boardwalk" - It makes a great stage - who knew? Anyway, it is now safely packed away until the next show - whereever that may be.

Stove Fire Damages French Road Home

Crews were dispatched to an afternoon fire today to a home on French Road. Arriving on scene, firefighters found a two storey home with light smoke coming from upper windows. The badly shaken homeowner was located in the back yard. While it appeared the fire was out, crews entered the house to determine what was occurring. A stove top fire had spread up the wall and into the adjacent cupboard. It appeared the homeowner had extinguished most of the fire with cups of water, however hotspots were still found in several areas. These were quickly extinguished. Significant smoke damage was observed throughout the top floor of the home and crews set up two fans to clear the air. Upon inspection of the attic, heavy smoke was found throughout this area. Upon further investigation it was determined that the fire had moved up through the vent pipe of the kitchen hood fan to the attic. At the point where the metal duct hit the attic space, two plastic dryer vent type hoses were attached and then up to the roof vent. Most of the ducting had burnt or melted and charing was found up the stud spaces and into the attic. This area was checked with a thermal image camera and several pieces of melted insulation were also removed. It was evident that the fire was only one or two minutes away from causing significant damage to the second floor and roof of the building. The smoke detector was also missing from its location. The homeowner was transported to VGH by ambulance. From the state of the fire, it appears she was very lucky to escape.

Impaired Drivers Play Havoc on Otter Point Road

Fire crews had a busy weekend dealing with 3 separate motor vehicle crashes, all apparently involving impaired drivers. The first incident occured in the Otter Point District when a speeding vehicle left the road, hit and sheered off a hydro pole, rolled over and then crashed into the brush where it then caught on fire. Otter Point firefighters arrived on scene but could not access the fire due to the downed pole and hydro lines across the roadway. A callout to Sooke had several apparatus respond from the other side of the incident. With Engine 1 out of service with a broken water pump, Ladder 1 responded with backup from Tender 1 if additional water was required. Crews successfully extinguished the fully involved jeep and the surrounding cedar trees that were also burning. It appears the driver was thrown clear, but fortunately for the passenger, neighbours and bystanders pulled him out before the fire grew in size. Passerbys were also shocked to find hundreds of dollars in bills and coins scattered amongst all the debris from the car crash.
The second incident just a day later occured at the Dumont Tire site when an out of control vehicle being pursued by Sooke RCMP left the roadway and entered the parking lot where it struck a large vehicle spinning it around. Unfortunately one of the employees was next to the car when it was struck. He was thrown into the air, hitting and breaking the back window of a second vehicle before being thrown about 20 feet further where he landed on the asphalt parking area. The original vehicle continued to travel hitting another parked vehicle which then collided with another parked vehicle. Five vehicles in all were damaged, several likely to be written off. The employee suffered broken ribs, a deflated lung, several serious facial lacerations and injuries to his leg although many consider him lucky to be alive. The driver was not injured and was arrested by police and faces a variety of charges.
Just a few hours later, crews responded to the 2600 block of Otter Point Road where an ATV had crashed. The impaired driver, without a helmet had been racing up and down the road, narrowly being hit by the fire chief only 20 minutes earlier when he was seen racing down the centre line of the roadway. He turned into a driveway, talked to the occupants of the property who did not know him and then watched him race away. Just before he was about to reenter the roadway, he hit a large rock and was thrown from the ATV. The driver was knocked unconscious and suffered facial and hand lacerations. He was taken to VGH for treatment and also faces a variety of charges.
Tough times to be on the road. Just goes to show you can never be to careful when you have drivers like these sharing the roads with us.

News of the Week

Congratulations to the new Executive of the Firefighters Association. Without these people stepping up, there would be no association so thank you to President Doug Brown, Vice President Luke Grabove, Secretary Jason Dixon and Treasurer Elaine Kouwenberg and all of those firefighters that agreed to be on the many committees that make this organization go. Also a thank you to the outgoing executive and committee members for their work over the past year.

It was with regret that I accepted the resignation of LT. Greg Alexander as he moves onto a new career path as Fire Chief of the James Island Fire Department. We certainly wish him the best of luck and any help we can offer as he takes on this exciting challenge. With Gregs retirement we now only have 7 active officers left in the department (Lt. Poirier will soon be leaving for the remainder of the year so I am not counting him) This puts quite a strain on the duty officer rotation as each officer will now have to take on several extra weeks of duty shifts until such time as we can get some new officers trained and ready to go. With numbers so low, I encourage are senior firefighters to help out with training and other duties to relieve some of this added stress.

I see the auto extrication team is back to training as they have been able to secure some vehicles. An opportunity to take a weekend auto x course in Mill Bay on school bus rescue is coming up. Look on the bulletin board for more information

The new washing machines have arrived. The Station 1 unit is up and running while the Station 2 unit will soon be operational, however Luke needs to do some plumbing first. These machines are the RED ones. They are only to be used for turnout gear or coveralls. Remember to separate the liner from the outer shell before washing. Instructions will be posted on each machine. Also make sure you note the date of washing in the book as this is an important requirement by WCB.

Two new Honda pumps were purchased to replace the two oldest pumps in the forestry trailer. They operate the same as the older models.

Attendance letters will soon be going out to all members who are low on their training or attendance hours. Please make a note of where you are and the requirements that are neccessary to maintain your membership. Each of the recruits will also get a letter specifying where they are in their training program and any thing that they will require before being eligible to take their final exams in May. A recruit drive is about to begin for the next class so if you know of anyone interested in becoming a member encourage them to put in an application.

Busy Week

Staff have been extra busy it seems this week with many things going on. The budget continues to be the biggest item on the agenda as it works its way through channels. Committee of the Whole decided to accept the budget and pass it on to council and the public hearing process. They want to hear from the public on what they think of the new proposed firefighter position before making a final decision.

Several plans have come across my desk for review and these are for major developments. The next phase of the Prestige Hotel is the first one as we look at the fire alarms and other emergency system designs for the building. Construction of the restaurant section on the second floor is well underway. Mariners Landing has had their Development Permit approved and construction will likely begin in May on the first building. Shoppers Drug Mart has applied for a development permit for their new store which will be about 18,000 sq ft in size. (for a comparrison, the entire fire hall / municipal complex is 22,500 sq ft in area. This is a large store. They plan to be open for business on Nov 25 (this year). The Sooke Arena is upgrading its infrastructure and it is expected that work will begin before summer on the new change rooms and second floor addition.
Tenders for design of the first section of the new connector road will soon be going out. Phase 1 will see the Throup Road extended from Charters to Phillips Road, just behind the arena. This project is expected to cost approximately $3,000,000.00. Work is expected to get underway in late 2010 or early 2011. This will be done with money currently in the budget.
The municipal boat launch and pier work will soon be started. An addition to the boardwalk is also expected to be part of this development. Much of this project is funded through grants and a large contribution from Prestige Hotels. Speaking of the hotel, Ric's Grill has been named the restaurant and food services operator for this development.
The Spiritwood subdivision continues to make its way through the process. This site will have approximately 450 units when completed. The site is behind Firwood Road and the developers will provide sewer connections to the entire area.
New "Way Signs" have been approved for the down town area. These very attractive sign posts, made with a sail boat theme will be placed in strategic areas of the community to indicate direction to businesses and services in the community. Sites identified as possible locations include Phillips Rd and Sooke Rd, Church Road at Sooke Rd, Otter Point and Sooke Road and Whiffin Spit and Sooke Road. Area businesses will be able to purchase a sign board to be installed on these sign posts.
Several other large projects are also in the works. I will discuss them when they are ready.

Windstorm Keeps Emergency Crews Busy

Well it appears that big wind Lambert is a jinx when it comes to windstorms although this last one did not cause him to loose his home at least. Some of you may remember a small breeze that cut its way through Sooke two or three years ago. Seems that the Duty Officer on that night was Lt. Lambert and it appears that we are now experiencing round two. Five calls were received in the morning hours of Good Friday. It began around 8:30 with a report of a tree on power lines on West Coast Rd. This was followed by a second call on one minute later reporting lines down and burning on Sooke River Rd. While responding to that, two more calls were received. The first for a tree and power lines down further out on West Coast Road and then for a tree on a house on Calvert Road with a somewhat concerned pregnant woman inside. This coupled with another serious set of trees and wires down on Otter Point Rd., completely closed off all access to points west of Sooke. Thanks to quick working fire crews, along with help from BC Hydro, RCMP, Sooke Towing and Otter Point FD all incidents were safely handled and traffic was back to normal within a couple of hours. The final truck was back in the station by 11:30 although many residents will be without power for some hours yet.

Happy Anniversary

Congratulations to Bob and Pat Hudson as they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in the Firemans Lounge this past weekend. With friends and family looking on the couple renewed their vows (well most of them anyway) A great dinner followed.

Tanker Shuttle Certification

A very successful tanker shuttle training exercise was performed this past weekend. Only one glitch occured when Engine 2 lost its draft and could no longer pump water. The truck was removed and quickly replaced with another vehicle from East Sooke FD. Other than that, the combined efforts and apparatus of Sooke, East Sooke, Otter Point and Shirley Fire Departments proved that this could be done. While we will need some more practice, there is every expectation that this will work and that we should be able to achieve certification. Why is this important you might ask. Well, if we can prove this to a third party engineer, tanker shuttle accreditation will give everyone within the certified area the equivalant to hydrant protection in areas where no hydrants exist. This is only for residential buildings within 8km of a fire hall. In Sooke, this represents about 400 properties. With an expected insurance savings of $200.00 to $400.00 per property, you can see this has huge monetary savings for anyone with an insurance policy. If we can repeat this in our mutual aid partners districts, the total savings could easily surpas $250,000.00 per year. What a great public relations effort for the fire departments if achieved. The nice thing to note is that we have sufficient apparatus in the combined departments to pull this off without having to purchase any additional tanker trucks. We hope to try this two or three more times to get proficient at it before we put in a request for the certification. Hopefully this can all be done within the next few months. An added benefit is that all the particpating departments become familiar with each others equipment and operations.

Let's try a new Blog

Well, here we go again. With the crash of my last blog site, I have decided to give it a second try. Please be patient while I get things up and running again. I will include the incident list, upcoming events, information on what is happening, construction updates and well, whatever you want to see on here. This is your department information source so please let me know what you would like to see. You can comment here or send me an email at ssorensen@sooke.ca