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.