Letter to the Editor,
I have attended the majority of ad hoc committee meetings which will send recommendations to council for a new fire hall. I am not a committee member. I sit in the gallery and observe but do not participate. I attend because I am passionate about seeing a fire hall in Creston that:
1) Will meet the needs of the firefighters for 50 – 100 years
2) Enables them to follow Best Practice Standards and
3) Is as safe as possible.
As a result of attending these meetings, I have learned a lot of facts.
Fact: Commercial buildings must be built to Post Disaster standards which are higher in BC than the rest of Canada due to the geology.
Fact: Firefighters need a space to detox - that is to sweat out the toxins they encounter in callouts.
Fact: Numbers of volunteers are decreasing globally.
Fact: Firefighting is more dangerous than it used to be.
Fact: Creston has a firefighting training program that brings the cost of providing the service down.
Fact: The Creston department assists other local volunteer departments (Erickson, West Creston, Canyon-Lister, Wynndel-Lakeview).
Fact: Fire Halls cost millions of dollars as opposed to hundreds of thousands.
I’ve observed the debate process with interest. Some motions get passed quickly with unanimity. With other motions, such as choice of site, there is more debate and I marvel at the respect committee members give each other. As Ernie Polson, from Fire Wise Consulting, informed us, consensus is required to pass motions but unanimity is not required and indeed, should not be expected.
A presentation was given by the Affordable Fire Hall Committee. I felt that a few of these people were less than respectful (only a few). During the discussion about the site, someone mentioned that volunteers should not have to run across the street from the parking lot to the fire hall. Someone in the gallery scoffed at this comment. I found this behavior offensive. My view is that the safest site wins hands down.
The affordable committee was putting forward steel structure as being less costly than wood frame. That may be so, but wood materials are available locally, and with wood, there is the possibility of employing local people. Not so with steel structures.
There have been many rumors and much false information circulating about the proposed fire hall. I’ve attended these meetings to get the facts.
At this time no one is denying we need a new fire hall. The only way we’ll get one is if there is a yes vote in the upcoming borrowing referendum. That is a fact.
I will be attending upcoming meetings and open houses to obtain all the facts.
Marg Meyer | Creston