A North Shuswap resident鈥檚 concern over the need for a more localized road rescue service touches on work being done at the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.

In a letter to the regional district, Celista鈥檚 Jake Ootes pointed out a road rescue service is 鈥渟orely lacking鈥� for the North Shuswap, where the service is currently provided by Chase Fire Rescue. Ootes said this can result in wait times of well over an hour, depending on where in the North Shuswap they鈥檙e having to respond.

Ootes noted the service can be provided through fire departments; however, the North Shuswap鈥檚 fire departments, 鈥渨hile they may be called out to such accidents, are restricted to serve as control only 鈥� no other assistance is allowed.鈥�

鈥淭his is a frustration to our many highly qualified volunteer fire fighters 鈥� young, capable, and anxious to be of greater service to our community,鈥� said Oootes. 鈥淩oad rescue service providers maintain an ongoing competency program that includes safety and training techniques for accessing people who may be trapped in a vehicle or machinery, on the road or down an embankment, and hazardous material awareness. Our fire departments already have most of the equipment on hand to provide such service.鈥�

Ootes said he has spoken with local fire chiefs who鈥檝e indicated there is 鈥渟erious interest by our fire departments to undertake Road Rescue Service.鈥�

Ootes concerns are shared by Derek Sutherland, the CSRD鈥檚 community and protective services general manager. He raised them in a report to CSRD directors at the January 2023 Electoral Area Directors (EAD) meeting. At the meeting, Sutherland said there were firefighters in the North Shuswap (Electoral Area F) and Falkland (Electoral Area D) willing to fill the need for emergency road rescue services being provided by fire departments outside the regional district.

鈥淧ortions of Electoral Area D are serviced by Vernon Fire and Electoral Areas F and G are primarily serviced by Chase Fire,鈥� wrote Sutherland in his report. 鈥淭hese areas are identified as gaps because of larger-than-adequate response times.鈥�

The EAD recommended to the CSRD board that up to $25,000 from the Rural Feasibility Study Fund be used for a feasibility study, investigating costs and governance provisions related to the establishment of road rescue services. The board approved funding for the study and for a subsequent report, which Sutherland said is now complete and will be presented at May 2024 EAD meeting.

Sutherland explained a key issue is that road rescue within the regional district is a provincial responsibility. He said those currently providing the service in the CSRD are 鈥渄oing absolutely the best they can with what they have.鈥�

鈥淭hey鈥檙e still quite far away from these areas, so there are some longer wait times for that kind of service,鈥� said Sutherland. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 problematic for the community; when they need that service they need it fairly quickly.鈥�

Another issue is funding. Sutherland said the funding currently provided by the B.C. government for road rescue, $335 per hour for road rescue apparatus only.

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鈥淨uite frankly, that鈥檚 just not enough to maintain the service and allow us to maintain training levels and put gas in the trucks, pay the members and reserve money for equipment replacement,鈥� said Sutherland, noting fire departments are only paid for road rescue work outside their respective jurisdictions.

鈥淲hen you get into a situation like what鈥檚 happening down in the southern end of the regional district, in Falkland, we have the City of Vernon Fire Department providing service in that area,鈥� Sutherland continued. 鈥淣ow they鈥檙e bringing out鈥� a truckload of full-time firefighters鈥� making a lot of money and potentially on overtime if it鈥檚 at the end of their shift. So Vernon would be operating at a loss. $335 barely covers the fuel.鈥�

Sutherland said the province has been asked to reevaluate its funding model, and it is, 鈥渂ut to my knowledge they haven鈥檛 come up with a new model yet. We鈥檙e hoping that it鈥檚 going to be fairly quick though.鈥�

Sutherland said if the province was to fund road rescue service appropriately, he didn鈥檛 think there would be any hesitation by the CSRD board to fill the existing gaps through the fire services.

鈥淏ut the fact of the matter is the current funding model is inadequate.鈥�

With the upcoming report presentation, Sutherland said the EAD will likely make a recommendation to the board.