Neighbourhood wants hall

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: November 27, 2010 12:00 PM
A Vernon neighbourhood continues to fight for improved fire protection.  The Lakeview Estates Community Association has asked city council to include a fire hall on Tronson Road in the 2011 budget.  “Our area is in a 14 to 20-minute zone under the current deployment system,” said president Isabel Furtado.  “The recommended response time is nine minutes or less for the first responding fire engine with four firefighters assembled at the scene.”  Presently, the closest fire hall is on Okanagan Landing Road, near Lakeshore Road.  Furtado referred to a report from Vernon fire chief Jeff Carlisle that indicates a fire hall in the Bella Vista area would reduce response times to a number of areas. “The draft project plan identified alternatives and implications, various milestones and estimated costs with a 24-month project timeline,” she said.  “We cannot overstate the importance and necessity of having adequate fire protection and emergency services in our high interface area.”  Furtado says the current response times have made it difficult for Canadian Lakeview Estates residents to get fire insurance. “Residents in CLE do not feel that this is a frivolous demand nor an item that can be set aside for future consideration,” she said.  “Adequate fire protection and emergency service is a health and safety matter that seriously affects every constituent in this high interface community.”  Mayor Wayne Lippert insists the concerns of Canadian Lakeview Estates residents are being taken seriously.  “Budget discussions are coming up and this plan will be looked at,” he said. However, Coun. Jack Gilroy believes the request from the neighbourhood must be balanced with the demands from the entire community.  “It’s an issue to protect every citizen but we have to look at the budget implications,” he said.  “It’s taxpayers’ money. I’d like to build two fire halls (Tronson Road and Predator Ridge) but what’s the cost?”