The Smithers Fire Department is one of many volunteer and composite fire departments to receive funding from the province.
Smithers along with Burn Lake, Granisle, Hazelton, and Telkwa all received $25,000, where Houston got $12,215 and the Bulkley-Nechako regional district received $23,626.
According to Smithers Fire Chief, Keith Stecko half of its funding will be going towards wildland personal protective equipment like, fireproof uniforms and the other half will be going towards a master stream monitor which will be going on the newest purchased engine.
Stecko said having the new pieces of equipment will help the department to further do their jobs.
“It will allow us to efficiently be able to respond to those types of emergencies and at the end of the day it will increase the public’s safety to the community in which we serve,” he said.
Stecko also said the funding is an opportunity for new equipment.
“This is an opportunity to access some tools and equipment that otherwise would have to be put into the budgetary process and strategize and prioritized based on that process,” he said.
The funding is from the Province’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund and distributed through the Union of BC Municipalities.
The sixth stream CEPF funding for the volunteer and composite fire departments in May 2019.