Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee

Key statements from Nov 24th meeting

1. Fire Departments operate under a complex regulatory environment. The framework includes legislation and regulations from WorkSafeBC, the BC Building and Fire Codes, BC Fire Service Minimum Training Standards, and others. Many industry standards and best practices provide guidance to fire departments. This to ensures the facilities and operations are safe and effective. These legislations, regulations and best practices have a direct impact on the design and operations of the CBID’s fire station.
2. There is an opportunity to co-locate a community accessible space in the development, should the community support it. Currently Cowichan Bay does not have this type of an amenity, and this is a great opportunity to provide the space either in the expansion of the current facility or new building.
3. Sustainability and operational effectiveness are essential factors in the proposal to improve or replace the facility. It must be environmentally and financially sustainable while providing a safe and effective facility for firefighters and the department.
4. Plans for the future facility need to include the connection to community water and sewer services. The current facility is unable to support refilling of fire trucks, because it’s served by an onsite well that has limited capacity. The current septic field is original from 1978 and is in need of replacement.

The inaugural meeting of the ASC took place this week. The Committee meet at the Cowichan Bay Fire Hall and using all necessary COVID precautions had a very productive meeting. The primary focus of the meeting was to introduce the Committee members to each other, to the Board of Trustees, to the Independent Chair from Firewise Consulting and to give them an overview of the project, the committee’s role and lastly to have an opportunity to tour the existing operational and administrative areas of the Fire Hall. The Committee agreed to meeting on Tuesday evenings and that moving forward meetings would be held in a blended model allowing for in person, online or a combination of both. Once the Committee begins diving into the copious amount of information that will be provided to them, the CBID will be sharing their progress with the community as a whole.

Cowichan Bay Fire Hall Requires Upgrades for Safety

The Cowichan Bay Improvement District (CBID or the Improvement District) provides local fire protection services with the assistance of the Cowichan Bay Volunteer Fire Rescue (CBVFR). CBID and CBVFR are financed by taxation however are served entirely by volunteers.

The Improvement District is required to provide a Fire Hall that meets legislative requirements including WorkSafe BC workplace requirements, BC Building and Fire Codes and reflect industry best practices such as those published by the National Fire Protection Association and other criteria. While the current fire hall has provided excellent service and support to our fire department over the past 40 years, it requires significant upgrades to allow its continued and safe use.

The Board of Trustees of the Cowichan Bay Improvement District have created a new Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee (ASC) to explore Fire Hall renewal options that will meet the community needs and keep our firefighters and equipment safe now and for years to come. The newly struck committee consists of eight members of the community, one CBID Board member, the volunteer Fire Chief and will be chaired by Ernie Polsom, of Firewise Consulting Ltd.

The first meeting will be on November 10, 2020 and it is planned that the committee will meet regularly for three months and will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees early in 2021. The Board will base their proposal for the Fire Hall renewal on these recommendations. The final proposal will need to be accepted by the community and is expected to go to referendum mid 2021.

Thank you to all those who applied for the Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee. Our Trustees are reviewing all the applications and will be announcing the ASC Committee Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Once the ASC begins their review process, they will be sharing information about the project with the community via our social media and website. We are extremely excited to move this project ahead and look forward to sharing the details with you as they come available.

The Cowichan Bay Improvement District (“CBID”) Board of Trustees invites interested and enthusiastic residents or property owners to sit on a new Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee (the “ASC”). The current Fire Hall was officially opened in 1979 and has served the community for more than 40 years. The ASC will explore Fire Hall renewal options that will meet the communities needs, and those of our fire fighters, now and for years to come.

The CBID is required to provide a Fire Hall that meets legislative requirements including WorkSafe BC workplace requirements, BC Building and Fire Codes and reflect industry best practices like those published by the National Fire Protection Association and other criteria. While the current fire hall has provided excellent service and support to our fire department for over 40 years, it requires significant upgrades to allow its continued and safe use.

Working with technical experts and an appointed facilitator, the ASC will help us explore workable solutions that address our current Fire Hall challenges, then make recommendations to the Board for short and long-term solutions.

It’s anticipated that the ASC will include approximately 6-8 Community members plus a facilitator/chair, a recording secretary and one ex officio representative from both the CBID and the Fire Department. The ASC and will meet 2-3 times a month over the next 3-4 months. Meetings will be held “in person” with appropriate COVID precautions and social distancing rules in place.

Members will be chosen based on criteria outlined in the Community Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee Terms of Reference and will represent varied demographics, stakeholders and community interests. Interested individuals or organizations are invited to review the Terms of Reference and submit the online application form by midnight October 25th, 2020 Now closed..

Applications will be reviewed, with the Board finalizing ASC membership on November 3rd, 2020. Only successful applicants will be notified by email. The inaugural meeting of the ASC is scheduled for Tuesday November 10th, 2020 at 7:00pm.

Thank you for your interest in making our community safe!

Copies of all applications will be made available to CBID Board Members and staff, for the sole purpose of making appointments to the ASC. Your information is being collected in accordance with section 26 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.