Dear Editor,
The Creston Firefighters Society is in favour of the referendum on December 9th to build a new fire hall.
We, the men and women firefighters of Creston Fire Rescue, are a not-for-profit society that provides much more than firefighting. As of October 25th, we responded to 520 emergency incidents this year: 85 fire related incidents, 66 Jaws of Life and technical rescue, 346 medical responses, and 23 other public safety emergencies. Additionally, we have donated more than $100,000 for a valley-wide training facility for firefighter training. This year we donated to the fire department four life-saving automatic defibrillators that cost $10,000, toward improving patient care when the ambulance is delayed.
As citizens of our community, we see that the proposed fire hall is not extravagant but practical, for now and the future. Our current fire hall is a converted grocery store that cannot be reasonably renovated to correct health and safety hazards faced by our membership. Two of our late members have already been diagnosed with cancer recognized under the presumptive cancer legislation. The risks have changed over the years not because they are new risks but because we know more now than 30 years ago about the risks, such as asbestos.
The fire hall is an investment for the next 50 years. To us, it will reduce the risks faced by our volunteer firefighters in this community. The current proposal meets the legislative requirements to correct the occupational health and safety hazards.
If there is an alternative solution to be proposed, we are interested in learning what those alternatives are, as citizens and taxpayers.
Please get the facts about the fire hall — the costs and the risks to firefighters — and vote on December 9th.
On behalf of the Creston Firefighters Jack Bates
President