Oliver’s fire department now designated as full-service

By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle

The Oliver Volunteer Fire Department (OFD) is now officially a full-service unit following a recent bylaw amendment. 

Town of Oliver Council, at the Regular Council meeting on October 27, voted in favour of a Fire Control Amendment Bylaw, giving the amendment first, second and third reading. 

The amendment gives Council’s declaration that the OFD’s Operational Service Level is now full-service, meeting the BC Structure Firefighters Minimum Training Standards requirements for such a designation. 

The amendment was put together following the August 25 Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting, which the OFD presented to Council. In that meeting, it was explained that the OFD members have the necessary certifications for the province’s full-service designation, but needed the re-classification from Council to make it official. 

The costs for such certifications are already included in the OFD’s annual operating budget, meaning the re-classification won’t come at any additional cost. Crucially, there is no additional equipment that needs to be purchased specifically for the purpose of meeting full-service criteria.

Prior to this Amendment Bylaw the OFD held “Interior Operations” designation, as officially declared by Council. The OFD was limited in the scope of structures they were approved to enter and perform their duties, under that designation. 

The amendment bylaw, by securing the full-service designation in compliance with provincial training standards, further mitigates liability risk at the provincial level in the event of the OFD entering a structure designated as “Complex”, which applies to most units in Oliver that are not single-family residential dwellings.

The OFD currently has 31 members; 27 of whom are certified for full interior operations, three Exterior Operations members who will be upgraded to the full interior level within the year, and one Junior Recruit. 

Councillor Terry Schafer, at the August 25 CoW meeting, gave praise to the OFD for how much they’ve grown over the years. 

“I’ve been watching this department, the fire department, grow and become more qualified, and also training many (other) fire departments throughout BC, at their Spring seminars,” Schafer said at the time.

“I’m really proud of our fire department.”

Schafer moved the Regular Council meeting’s motion to approve the Amendment Bylaw and its associated readings. Following a second of the motion by Councillor Petra Veintimilla, the amendment bylaw was carried unanimously.