By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The Apex Volunteer Fire Rescue has achieved a fire insurance grading which may lead to improved insurance rates for property and business owners on Apex Mountain.
The Fire Underwriters Survey, a service for insurers and municipalities, has given a Dwelling Protection Grade 3A grading for Personal Lines insurance and a Public Fire Protection Classification 7 for Commercial Lines.
“Achieving a fire insurance grading of ‘protected’ is a significant milestone that recognizes the hard work of our dedicated volunteers and supportive community members to provide 24/7 fire protection services,” says Fire Chief Kelly Johnston.
“This not only increases the public safety of the Apex community but ensures peace of mind and economic viability for residents, businesses, and property owners through increased insurance affordability.”
Prior to this, residents and businesses around the mountain resort had difficulty in even getting fire insurance and when they could, they paid very high premiums. The community is approximately 10 km from the Penticton Fire Department.
In past reviews the staffing of the fire department was the primary reason for the lack of insurance grading being issued. There are now 16 trained members, including the fire chief, living and working in the community.
The mission of Apex Volunteer Fire Rescue (AVFR) is to provide the residents and visitors of the Apex Mountain Resort community with safe, efficient, and effective fire and public safety risk reduction and emergency response services.
Since becoming a Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) fire service on January 1, 2022, members of the AVFR have made substantial progress in staffing, training, and operational readiness. In addition to the 16 trained volunteers, four new recruits have also recently joined.
Johnston notes that over the past year, volunteers have been training to become proficient in exterior and interior attack structural firefighting, vehicle extrication, medical first responder, rope rescue, wildland fire suppression, wildfire structure protection, and fire prevention.
“AVFR team members have also spent time improving fire apparatus and equipment operational readiness to industry standards. This work will help prepare the team to provide frontline response during emergencies,” Johnston said.
AVFR senior leadership has been working with regional district and Apex Mountain Resort staff to provide a new base of operations and home to fire apparatus by winter 2024. AVFR is also working through the process of ordering a fire engine to replace the current Engine 121, also known as Timber, as the frontline engine. Delivery of the new fire engine is expected by mid-2024.
The 2022 Keremeos Creek wildfire gave significant impetus to fully developing the fire department at Apex and presented the first significant test for AVFR members and the community of Apex, since the new fire service was established.
What started out as a small fire at the end of July quickly spread to over 7,000 hectares in a few weeks with residents of the Apex community put on evacuation order for 16 days. Through the combined efforts of the BC Wildfire Service, Apex Volunteer Fire Rescue, Apex Mountain Resort, and fire departments from across BC, the Apex community and surrounding area did not suffer any fire damage.
After 28 days of sustained fire suppression, the Keremeos Creek wildfire was considered “held.” Firefighting efforts by the AVFR and the resort are also famously remembered for turning snow making equipment into giant water cannons.
