Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department
7667 Pacific Rim Hwy V9Y 8Y5 Port Alberni, BC, Canada

LANGLEY TOWNSHIP:

Hi all. Last week we had no calls Covid-19 protocols remain in place. 2nd wave is here - please stay safe and take necessary precautions in your daily life.... Sports: NFL - no changes (still) as there is still 1 undefeated team and 1 winless team. BCHL - Bulldogs still holding on to 4th place. Tues night’s training was fire hydrant evolutions training. It’s important to keep the skills of catching a hydrant when arriving on a scene. Though we have a few hydrants in our area, it is important that we maintain these abilities as we go to calls in other areas. And as it is darker at this time of year, it makes it a little bit more challenging. Before the regular Tues training, we had representatives from North Island 911 come to town to give us a briefing on the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. We have one of these systems in truck 49, with another planned for 41 next year. Thanks go out to Randy and Stephanie for getting us up to speed on this system. On Sat, Duty Crew Alpha was busy with some 1001 practicals and low slope rescue training. Recruitment drive never ends - Be the Difference Stay safe one and all. Please do not drink and drive. Capt Tony

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com//nanaimo-fire-rescues-91/

Would you be prepared if an emergency struck, and you had to stay at home with no power or running water? An emergency kit will help and we recommend having at ...least a 3 day supply of food and water. What other supplies should you have in your emergency kit? Follow our page, like and share this post, and share your answers, and you could win a 72-hour emergency kit. See more

Amidst the loneliness and dehumanizing conditions of war The Salvation Army was there to provide comforts of home and opportunities to boost morale for our Cana...dian troops. From providing spiritual care to making treats and offering areas to rest. For our volunteers it was a great honour to help those who fought for our freedoms. #LestWeForget

Hi all. Last week we had an AMA Structure Fire (Port Alberni area) on Tues. Covid-19 protocols remain in place.... Sports: MLB - LA Dodgers are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays 2 - 2 in the World Series. NFL - still have 2 undefeated teams and 1 winless teams. BCHL - Bulldogs have started playing - slow start this year. Tues night’s training was a quarterly General meeting and a safety meeting. On Sat, Duty Crew Bravo started with a nice breakfast and then made there way around the district. In particular they were visiting the new dry hydrant at Central Lake. Yes, we have a large district. Not just around Sproat Lake, but out towards Central Lake, the airport and area, Sproat Shop, Hector Road area, and Rowe Rd and area. This weekend, the FR course finished up. Congrats to all. Thx to FF John for getting us some new FRs. Recruitment drive never ends - Be the Difference Stay safe one and all. Please do not drink and drive. Capt Tony

Hi all. Last week we had a Chimney Fire (burning between insert and chimney wall) on Thurs, a Hydro Trouble call on Thurs (no issues), an FR Assist routine (sto...od down) on Fri, and a Beach/Brush Non-emergency investigation (Duty Officer only, no issues) on Sat. Covid-19 protocols remain in place. 2nd wave is here - please stay safe and take necessary precautions in your daily life. Couple of big Congrats go out to some members of ours. Congrats go out to FF Zach and his wife Holly on the arrival of their son William. All are doing well. I think I heard Zach say that he may have already signed William up for the Junior FF program. And another congrats goes out to FF Chris P and his wife Wish on the arrival of their girl Willow. All are doing well. I almost heard the same story where Chris has already sized her out for some turnout gear for the Junior FF program as well. Sports: NFL - no changes (yet) as there is still 1 undefeated team and 1 winless team. BCHL - Bulldogs still holding on to 4th place. Tues night’s training was an FR practice. Well, it was going to be something else, but the presenter couldn’t make it. SO, all members assembled at Hall 2 and were broken into 3 groups. The groups cycled through a refresher on FR protocols when arriving on a scene, the new layout of our jump kits (the cases which hold our supplies for patients), or use of an AED. Thx to FF John and FTO Aaron for getting things in place at the last minute. On Sat, Duty Crew Delta was busy with a couple of tasks. After a quick breakfast, one crew went out to the water tower on Central Lake road to clean it up and check water levels. Another crew stocked up on sand bags. Once those tasks were done, we went through and discussed fire hydrant evolutions - how to catch a hydrant and ensure water flows quickly to the engine. As noted above, we had a chimney fire already this season. There was built up creosote between the liner and the chimney wall. Crews had to dislodge the creosote with pike poles. This is a good time to get your chimney checked but to also ensure extra care if you have an insert. And as stated above - We have Sand Bags!!!! Behind Hall 3, the ACRD has placed sand and we now have sand bags. Bring your own shovel. And no, that is not all of them.... Congrats go out to our newest Yellow Tags - FF Alex, Dallas and Isaac. They are now qualified as Interior firefighters. Bravo Zulu. Recruitment drive never ends - Be the Difference Stay safe one and all. Please do not drink and drive. Capt Tony

Yep... someday it’s going to get real!

*This message is outdated. Please see tsunami.gov for current alert status.* Tsunami Message Number 1 Earthquake Information... ---------------------------------- Location: 55 miles SE of Sand Point, Alaska Lat: 54.665 Lon: -159.608 Magnitude: 7.4 Origin Time: 2020-10-19T20:54:40 UTC [PDT, AKDT] Depth: 41 kilometers ---------------------------------- Warning A tsunami Warning is now in effect which includes the coastal areas of Alaska from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) to Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska). ---------------------------------- Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is expected or occurring. Warnings indicate that widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival. ---------------------------------- Actions: Pacific coastal regions outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center messages for information on this event at tsunami.gov. Additional Information and Next Update: * The tsunami message will remain in effect until further notice. * Refer to the internet site tsunami.gov for more information. * This message will be updated in 30 minutes or sooner if the situation warrants.

Hello Everyone! Just a quick introduction, my name is Devon and I am the Fire Fighter Relations Manager here at Muscular Dystrophy Canada for BC/YT! Fire Fighte...rs across Canada have been proud supporters of MDC for over 65 years, and consistently raise over $500,000 - $600,000 across BC/YT annually. However, this year, COVID19 has had a HUGE impact on our fundraising and our ability to provide clients with much needed services and equipment. Thank you to all the BC Volunteer Fire Departments who have supported us in the past and continue to do so into the future. Although things may look a little different, the need is still there and MDC needs Firefighters more than ever before. If you are interested in supporting MDC or want to know more about how other Departments have adapted their fundraising events please contact myself at [email protected] or 604-374-1353. See more

Hi all. Last week we an MVI Extrication (stood down as it was out of our area) on Weds and a Beach/Brush Non-Emergency Duty Officer investigation (non-issue) on Thurs. Covid-19 protocols remain in place.... Sports: MLB - Tampa Bay is waiting the winner of either LA or Atlanta to play for the World Series. NFL - still have 4 undefeated teams and 3 winless teams. NBA - congratulations to Los Angeles on winning the championship. BCHL - Bulldogs have started playing - slow start this year. Tues night’s training was at the training site. We continued with initial arrival on scene, stabilization of the vehicle and patient care. On Sat, Duty Crew Alpha was providing support for the 1001 trainees at the training site. A busy morning with a nice breakfast and then busy with entanglement practicals and then on to fire extinguishers. Always remember P.A.S.S. - Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. Also, this weekend, an FR course started with our members. Thx to FF John for leading the way. Recruitment drive never ends - Be the Difference Stay safe one and all. Please do not drink and drive. Capt Tony

My thoughts are with Stn 136 and my fellow paramedics and Ceremonial Unit, who as we speak heading to Tofino. Tomorrow marks the 10 year anniversary of Jo-Ann ...Fuller and Ivan Polivka’s tragic line of duty death at Kennedy Lake. I apologize now for the lengthy post but I would like to share some memories. Almost every Paramedic I know that travels that road, have at one point or another, stopped and paid their respects in some way. They sat and looked out to the lake and talked to them, sharing a story, a laugh and a few tears. What I try to remember most is the way the way everyone came together, not just our service but far and wide. For me I remember worrying for Kathryn, watching the news and seeing Keith being so strong and it was gut wrenching. So many things happened so fast as the world stood at a grinding halt. I remember arriving in the community and literally thousands of us took over the whole town and they treated us like family. We draped the ambulances in black which to me to this day is such a hard sight. We polished their boots in respect and preparation. It was a sea of duty jackets marching though the streets. I was fortunate enough to be there for the unveiling of Frank Island at the Eagle Aerie Gallery. A beautiful tribute from Roy Vickers who knew both Jo-Ann and Ivan. I see Frank Island in many places in our service with print #136 at home at the Tofino Station. This is not the event I expected. COVID has altered so many things. I will not be there for this honour but I will be watching the live stream and standing with you in my heart. The live stream will be tomorrow at 1500 on the APBC public FB page.

Media Release: The fire departments of Town of Qualicum Beach, Dashwood, and Coombs-Hillers have now completed the joint regional training building project and ...it’s now in use. The 1200 sq. ft. modular training building is designed with rooms, doors, windows and a stairwell to simulate a one and two-story house. The building will be used for both skill and scenario-based training. It also provides the ability to advance program development and train instructors. The training building will also be available to other fire or emergency services partners in the region which will enhance regional training and build on long existing, positive, inter-departmental relationships. The regional collaboration on this project reflects the great partnerships and agreements currently in place throughout the District 69 region. Nick Acciavatti, Fire Chief for Dashwood Fire Department relayed, This is an amazing opportunity for our local firefighters and our communities. We are truly lucky to have a collaborative effort between our fire departments to achieve this goal. The new training facility will be huge benefit for our firefighters and ultimately our community’s. We look forward to utilizing the new training building for years and years to come. Marc Norris, Fire Chief for Qualicum Beach & Parksville Fire Rescue Departments noted, This training building will benefit us and our regional partners by providing enhanced access to excellent training opportunities, which in turn helps to ensure the best possible delivery of service to the citizens of, and visitors to, our region. This collaboration is indicative of the ability and commitment of our local fire rescue departments to work together collectively. Aaron Poirier, Fire Chief for the Coombs-Hilliers Fire Department commented, This building is another of example of communities coming together to complement the fire service delivery model from a collaborative approach. This building enables firefighters to train on a multitude of scenarios on a more frequent basis thus helping to ensure a consistent service delivery model to all communities. Primary funding for this project was made possible through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, which awarded $75,000 to the project. Contact Marc Norris, Fire Chief Town of Qualicum Beach & City of Parksville 250 752 6232 | [email protected]

Wind event on Tuesday could overachieve for a select few on Vancouver Island - winds modelled just off the surface are quite strong. I'd expect some scattered outages with potential for a couple locations to have widespread outages across the Island by Tuesday afternoon.

Hi all. Last week we an MVI Fire on Sun. Covid-19 protocols remain in place.... This week will be the last week to publish the Fire Bans, Restrictions, and Danger Class Ratings. As the weather has changed with a little humidity in the air, this portion of the blog is not required. Should anything change, will update as necessary. Danger Rating - Very Low and forecasted to remain Very Low Open Fires - there are no restrictions in effect. Camp Fires - there are no bans in effect. Forest Use - there are no restrictions in effect. http://www2.gov.bc.ca//wildfire/fire-bans-and-restrictions Sports: MLB - 4 teams vying for the World Series - Los Angeles, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Houston. NFL - still have 5 undefeated teams and 3 winless teams. NBA - game 6 of the finals today with Miami and Los Angeles. Tues night’s training was at the training site. We were busy with initial arrival on scene of an MVI, scene assessment, stabilization of vehicle and patient care. Each small team was able to get a couple of scenarios completed. If not doing a scenario, teams would practice opening up cars with a combi-tool. Afterwards we had some good discussions on Covid and upping the ante on protection of one’s self but also the department as a whole. On Sat, Duty Crew Delta started off at Hall 3 with a breakfast and some discussion on the mornings events. They then moved over to Hall 2 where a large crew of 1001 trainees were at the top of the order to get through forcible entry and salvage covers. Even helped Hall 2 with some truck care. The practicals for the 1001’s are getting down there. Recruitment drive never ends - Be the Difference Stay safe one and all. Please do not drink and drive. Capt Tony