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THE SOUTH SHUSWAP SCOOP
NOVEMBER 2020
Eagle Bay Fire Department By Nigel Collett I hope everyone and their families are staying safe and well. Winter is obviously on its way as I peer out at the first snowfall and winterizing is in full swing. Every time I read the Scoop or Kicker, I come across articles full of great advice that speak to the sustainment of our communities through the winter months. Eagle Bay Firehall has not had a single callout to date in October which of course is never a bad thing but I did hear on the radio that across the lake there has been a couple of chimney fires so I’m conscious we’re into that time of year. I’ve now been a firehouse rookie for a full year and it’s a good time to reflect on whether the role of volunteer firefighter met my expectations: • Firstly, I underestimated how much there was to learn – I’m not really sur-
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prised not having a point of reference to begin with. Sitting in front of a computer all my working life obviously never prepared me for this but I’ve never felt overwhelmed. I better appreciate how much there is to learn and the time it will take to acquire those skills and experience. On the flip side I was made to feel I was contributing from just showing up on day one. The training provided is very Crew practicing mechanical ventilation good – you never feel you’re get(blowing smoke out of buildings) in the rain. Photo credit: Michelle Beaudry, Training Officer ting less or inferior training because you are a volunteer as opvalues statement and it checks all the posed to a fulltime firefighter. It’s a great group of like-minded individ- boxes as to who and why we do what we do. uals who are there to fully support you and their community. I recently read the • I better appreciate how tough it is to attract new volunteers and I know the revised CSRD Fire Services mission and answer is not simple given our location. Doesn’t mean to say we should stop trying. On the training front, by the time you read this I will have taken an Emergency Vehicle Driving course. And, for our Tuesday night practice which you can see from the picture goes ahead in all weather, we are thinking about making sure we are fully prepared and ready for winter. Eagle Bay Fire Department welcomes anyone who would like more information – please contact Alan Rendell 250-5170429. He will be happy to answer any questions. Practice is on Tuesday evenings at 7pm for 2 hours, all equipment and training is provided. You can keep up to date on lots of fire related and fire department news on our ‘Eagle Bay Fire Department’ Facebook page. If you don’t follow us on Facebook we also share on Instagram. You will also find links to more information about current burning regulations and the CSRD’s FireSmart initiatives.
