Dear Editor:

I am not a volunteer firefighter, I don’t go racing out the door when the alarm goes off in the middle of the night, pulling on clothes as I go, trying to take up and focus on the task at hand, be it fire, a motor vehicle accident, assisting an ambulance crew or even attending to a false alarm.

I am awake though, as I have been for over 30 years, because I’m the wife of an Osoyoos volunteer firefighter.

The town needs a new fire hall to accommodate the growth of our community and surrounding areas. The present fire hall is no longer up to WorkSafe BC standards and does not facilitate the department’s demands.

The current fire hall is too small, is filled with exhaust fumes and is unsafe.

I believe the new fire hall has become a platform for political posturing by some local residents in order to gain voter attention and the real issue seems to have been forgotten.

All the studies have been done and approved. Suitable land has been purchased and can accommodate the size of structure necessary for a proper new fire hall.

The proposed design is comparable in size to Oliver’s fire hall, including their recent new addition.

Also, Osoyoos will have the benefit of an Emergency Operations Centre as well as space for the existing Emergency Social Services.

Many of us have also been misinformed about the actual cost.

To put it in perspective, the average cost to each residential property will be approximately the cost of two cups of coffee per month. Our community and firefighters’ safety is worth more than two cups of coffee per month.

These volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line each time they respond to a fire call. All are dedicated to keeping you safe.

If one volunteer is injured or killed because of inadequate training due to the lack of a proper facility, that would be an injustice to us all, not just the firefighters.

It would serve us all well to remember that when your house is on fire or you are stuck in a vehicle after an accident, these people put their lives on hold to save you and yours.

I hope our community will chose their support and pride for this needed facility.

Thank you.

Susan Fernandes

Osoyoos, B.C.