12/30/2025
Did you know your fire department not only helps protect the community but often also saves the community money? When a fire department meets the standards the savings it provides in insurance rates is often greater than the cost of running the fire department itself.
Many of the standards firefighters and fire departments in British Columbia have to meet are mandated by primarily three groups;
- Work Safe BC: ensuring safe work practices and work sights for our members
- Fire Underwriters: set out the insurance rating for buildings based on certain qualifications;
The fire department members hold.
The number of certified firefighters the department has.
The equipment the fire department has.
The distance of fire halls to homes and water supplies to homes.
- Office of the Fire Commision: are responsible for setting the standard of training required for firefighters to be able to staff stations (either as volunteers or paid staff) with the British Columbia Structure Firefighter Minimum Training Standards. Found in the link here;
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/B8D1EDCD9AA747C89738106C0D7DC448
Many of these 3 organizations rely on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards to mandate and refer to for their requirements. These standards cover all levels from managing a department to fundamental skills required for firefighting and rescue.
Follow the link below to come be part of something bigger.
https://www.rdck.ca/fire-services/volunteer/
