Firefighters in Lytton and Loon Lake are better equipped to respond to emergencies in their communities thanks to their colleagues in Port Moody.
On Wednesday, April 24, representatives from the remote towns in British Columbia’s Interior were in the city to take delivery of two decommissioned fire trucks that had outlived their usefulness to Port Moody Fire Rescue (PMFR).
A 1997 Freightliner rescue truck went to Lytton Fire & Rescue and a 1999 American LaFrance fire engine was picked up by the Loon Lake Fire Department.
Lytton Fire & Rescue captain Kyle Parker said the new-to-them vehicle will allow his volunteer firefighters to respond more efficiently to emergencies with a truck designed to carry specialty tools and medical aid supplies while still maintaining fire protection closer to home.
“This will allow us to keep both our frontline and reserve pumpers in the municipality ready for fire response,” he said in a news release. “This will provide more resiliency, particularly as we have seen an increase in wildfires in the Fraser Canyon.”
The old rescue truck was retired by Port Moody Fire Rescue after more than 25 years of service because it no longer met municipal insurance requirements. It’s been replaced by a new truck at a cost of more than $1.5 million.
Franko Birro, captain of the Loon Lake Fire Department, said the new fire engine will make it easier for his crews to get to calls along the single 32 km road that stretches through its service area.
“It will allow us to support our neighbouring communities with mutual aid and respond to multiple incidents,” Birro said, adding that will be especially important during wildfire season.
The LaFrance engine was used in Port Moody for 15 years before serving as a back-up truck until its retirement late last year.
The trucks aren't the first ones Port Moody has sent for an extended life bolstering firefighters' resources elsewhere. A decommissioned 1995 Spartan pumper truck was previously sold to Seton Valley for one dollar and other surplus trucks were donated to fire departments in Mexico and Ecuador.
In a report presented to council in January, PMFR chief Darcey O’Riordan said the benefit the old trucks can provide to smaller departments with limited resources far outweighs the $17,500 the city might have realized from selling the trucks at auction.
Coun. Amy Lubik, who attended Wednesday’s handover as acting mayor, said donating the trucks is a way for the city to play a small role in dealing with a much greater concern.
“It’s important for communities around the province to work together as we adapt to climate change,” she said. “That includes making sure smaller communities have the right fire rescue equipment so they can save lives and protect property and infrastructure.”
