New wildland truck ‘game-changer’ for Garibaldi fireplace dept

The realm between Whistler and Squamish is best ready for future wildfires after buying new state-of-the-art tools.

On Nov. 28, with Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) chair Jen Ford within the driver’s seat, the Garibaldi Volunteer Fireplace Division (GVFD) pushed a brand-new wildland fireplace truck into its fireplace corridor adjoining to Black Tusk Village, adopted by an illustration of the car in motion.

Wildland autos are primarily rapid-response fireplace vehicles designed particularly to move fireplace personnel, water, pumps, hoses and different tools to the scene.

Fireplace Chief Dan Ross referred to as the wildland truck “a game-changer” for the division, permitting fireplace personnel to reply shortly and safely to incidents—significantly within the backcountry, the place call-outs have elevated in each frequency and complexity.

“We began to comprehend there are extra folks taking into the backcountry and extra calls which can be extra distant, alongside service roads. We wanted a unique car to higher swimsuit our wants,” Ross mentioned at Monday’s ceremony.

“Because the wildfire danger grows, it’s no secret it grows right here within the Sea to Sky for us, so what we’re doing is including a brand new instrument to our toolbox.”

The wildland truck replaces a 17-year-old pickup truck, and is designed to drive by means of tough terrain.

Together with the brand new fireplace truck, two new drones have been bought that can be used for scene assessments and lookouts to allow faster and extra environment friendly decision-making in actual time. The GVFD at present has 5 educated drone pilots with the relevant licences.

 The GVFD has about 20 volunteer firefighters and companies the areas of Pinecrest, Black Tusk Village and a 16-kilometre stretch of Freeway 99. The division generally extends its response space alongside the freeway to help different accomplice businesses.

After the push-in, an illustration was held to indicate off the car’s capabilities. Volunteer firefighters lit a small chimney fireplace and used the brand new truck to place it out—with assist from Space D director Tony Rainbow, who suited up in bunker gear for the event.

The acquisition of the brand new tools was made doable by means of grants offered by the Whistler Blackcomb Basis, Woodfibre LNG, and the GVFD Society, in addition to the SLRD, which offered $100,000 for the acquisition of the car.

“You make a dedication to return right here and practise and depart ready to exit on calls. Our duty as a board is to just be sure you have what you want to have the ability to do this job and to have the ability to do it safely,” Rainbow mentioned.

“I don’t ever need to hear a couple of firefighter being damage out on a name as a result of the tools that they had wasn’t passable; that ought to by no means occur,” he added. “There may be an elevated danger of wildfire. We’re not going to see a lower within the quantity, so it’s much more essential that we be sure you’re ready for the work that you simply volunteer to do.”