Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services (RFRS) got the go-ahead from the city on Tuesday afternoon to deploy and help fight the Los Angeles (L.A.) wildfires, should the provincial government call on them.

Fire Chief Steven DeRousie made an unscheduled visit to Revelstoke city council's Jan. 14 meeting to say BC Wildfire Service had approached RFRS about supporting the L.A. firefighting efforts. Council voted unanimously to give RFRS pre-approval to deploy a crew if officially requested by the provincial government.

"This is just putting out feelers, looking for departments that can support," DeRousie said, though adding that RFRS could be asked as early as this week to come to California.

RFRS is prepared to send a crew and vehicle at BC Wildfire Service's request, DeRousie said, which would include a four-person structure protection unit and a truck equipped with a pump, water tank and hoses.

"We all know that the conditions are not getting significantly better there," DeRousie said of L.A., noting California's firefighter crews will need to be swapped out after two weeks of action. "We're not going to be on the front lines. We're just going to be helping out."

DeRousie said this could mean deploying sprinklers in more contained areas or putting out smaller brush fires in the Palisades, while California's fire protection department would continue to fight the bigger blazes.

Thanks to council's motion, DeRousie explained, the WorkSafeBC coverage that protects all city staff in Revelstoke would extend to cover RFRS's operations in L.A.

Coun. Matt Cherry asked about insurance and local taxpayer implications in the case that RFRS's vehicle was damaged or destroyed during deployment.

BC Wildfire Services is expected to fully reimburse the city for all expenses if a crew is deployed, and Revelstoke's taxpayers likely won't incur any cost, DeRousie said. As he understands, RFRS's ICBC policy grants the same coverage in the U.S. for a work vehicle as for a personal vehicle, which ICBC staff confirmed is true on a general basis, though they noted vehicles may be rated differently based on where they go in the U.S.

To help cut expenses, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, run by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, Fire Chiefs Association of BC and provincial government, sets rates to cover all anticipated costs, according to DeRousie.

Without council approval, RFRS vehicles can't leave the municipal boundary, DeRousie said, meaning the same request must be asked to expedite support for neighbouring B.C. communities battling wildfires.

"In most likelihood, if there was damage to the truck, we would have to cover those costs up front, but we would then resubmit that invoice back to BC Wildfire for excess damage," he said, noting fuel, food and staffing costs should also be covered.

While repairs and maintenance are typically covered by BC Wildfire Service as needed, DeRousie added, fire departments must pick the vehicles they send carefully to ensure they meet specific provincial requirements.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 15, B.C. has 34 firefighters from all across the province helping crews in L.A., with 12 highly-trained technical specialists working as a senior management team and 22 BC Wildfire Service ground crew members deployed. Locations where the firefighters are from have not been confirmed. 

"We're following their lead, if you will," DeRousie said, adding that helping L.A. could result in a giveback from other fire departments, should Revelstoke need it.

Reflecting on the 2022 West 91大黄鸭 fires, he recalled more than 40 B.C. fire departments turning up. DeRousie added that B.C. would've needed support from U.S. fire crews if the province's fire departments had exhausted their own services, and that Osoyoos regularly co-ordinates with U.S. fire departments along the B.C.-Washington border.

"I think that if our community was facing the same challenges as the community of Los Angeles at this time, we would want everybody showing up as well," Coun. Tim Stapenhurst said at Tuesday's meeting.

Coun. Aaron Orlando added that "Revelstoke has a small department and a lot of forest around us, and we may need the support one day."

Coun. Tim Palmer also expressed support for potential deployment to L.A., though primarily because RFRS's request comes outside of B.C.'s wildfire season.

"Of course we want to help," Palmer said. "It's just in the blood of any rescue organization of firefighters."

After the fires began to burn in L.A., DeRousie put a feeler out to his firefighter staff to determine whether he'd approach council Tuesday. He said there's no particular hierarchy for who gets picked first to respond to out-of-city calls.

"We try to reward the people who work the hardest in our city," he explained, calling the L.A. wildfires a tremendous learning experience for the chosen deployment crew, especially for a career firefighter to take a leadership role.

The only concern DeRousie raised, when asked by Cherry about "any negatives" council should know, is that as fire chief he can't leave Revelstoke while the team would be deployed, so he can maintain command remotely.

In such a scenario, "I want to make sure that they feel the support that their chief is with them."

Black Press Media has reached out to BC Wildfire Service for comment.