10/08/2026
I've been sitting on this post for some time. My worry has been that it will be perceived as political. I was going to post last week, but worried about perception. I was going to post this morning but didn't want the accusations I did it at a certain time for a certain reason.
With all of the posts and personal research from some over the last while, I need to stand up and not worry about the perceived intent, but answer the questions I've been asked. "Why did we buy a custom pumper?" And "why is the Luck Bay Fire Hall closed" or, "why am i paying for fire protection but my fire insurance is so high?". If you notice, those two questions are from both the rural fire area and the Municipality.
To answer both of the first. I've posted a group of pictures. The bottom of the photos is from the current Luck Bay Fire Hall. This is Engine 21, Engine 22(Tender), and Squad 21. The Luck Bay Fire Hall is not, and again I repeat not shut down. Before I took the position and was still a volunteer, this Hall had one apparatus and one member. Thanks to the work of my predecessor and continued work since, there are three pieces of apparatus with a growing membership. It is not closed.
Your fire insurance rating and what you pay in the rural area for fire protection are two totally different topics.
Pay for "fire protection" means if you have a fire, we will show up and do our best.
Fire Insurance and the Fire Insurance rating are based on a multitude of factors. Avaliable water supply, age of apparatus, number of volunteers, and distance from a fire hall to name a couple. All of these are reported to FUS for grading. Grading determines the fire insurance rating. The responsibility for these falls to different jurisdictions. "Water Supply". The RDBN completed a bulk water storage facility which is great, but doesnt help everyone in the rural area. "Age of apparatus" there is certain criteria set forth by the FUS for age of fire apparatus. For instance, credit for up to 15 years of age for the first out apparatus. FUS does not give credit or allowance for the size of your community nor the number of calls run. I don't agree with this, but politicians with influence don't ask my opinion. The submission of updates in the rual area of our fire protection to the FUS is up to the Jurisdiction Having Aithority. That isn't the Fort St. James Fire Department nor the District of Fort St. James. Now, don't go casting stones and angry emails as our Rural Fire Protection Area is one only one of several within the RDBN. "Volunteer numbers". The RDBN and the FSJFD can only do so much. There have been numerous recruitment drives over the last six years. While we are loving and appreciate the ones we've gotten, they aren't enough to get credit for the Luck Bay Hall. I know it's easy for me to say. I get it. There's only so many hours in the day. Im not making the rules, and I dont agree with them but, these are the rules set by FUS for your Fire Insurance rating. "Distance from a Fire Hall". Living within a certain distance from a recognized fire hall gets you credit. A recognized fire hall depends on the group of others I mentioned.
Moving to the topic of Custom Fire Trucks. While I offered up the opportunity to answer to these questions in person. I was told, "I'll do my own research". So here we go.
As I've already mentioned the FUS dictates the age of your 1st out apparatus is 15 years and I don't agree with this. However, if the taxpayers of FSJ want their current Insurance rating, a new apparatus was required to be purchased. I think that answers the justification for the purchase of a new engine. Now the answer to "Custom" engine. In the group of photos I postef therr are two cabs and chasis. The one on the left is a "Commercial Cab/Chasis". These are mass produced and some combinations end up as fire trucks. However, they may have ended up as delivery trucks, dump trucks, or plow trucks. They are commercial trucks without the box, and in some cases not the upgrades to accommodate the additional weight of water, equipment, personnel, or hose. They are cheaper and now more readily available but the cab and chasis weren't built to necessarily be fire trucks. Now for the other. When I say "Custom Cab/Chasis" think of cab over trucks. The term "custom" means when the cab and chasis were built, they were custom built and designed to be fire trucks. When the steel hit the fabrication floor, there was only one purpose, a fire truck. They have more cab space for personnel, more cab space for equipment, and chasis already has upgrades to be a fire truck. Those upgrades weren't custom they are stock. In the most recent purchase of our Engine 11, I guess you could say it was "Custom" as we took items off of the stock truck because we felt, that while they were nice additions, they weren't necessary for our communities and calls.
I didn't answer this for political reasons, I answered this because I feel the community needs answers from me, the Fire Chief, not others with an agenda. My agenda, our agenda at the Fort St James Fire Dept is to do what's best for the people we see every day, the people we know and don't know, and the people we are willing to protect everyday.
As I've said many times, if you have a question or concern, come ask me. I will always answer what I can. I may not have the answer you want, but I'll answer.
Those before us built the foundation on their vison to protect, we are building upon that foundation for those which come next.
Whether we agree or disagree, we are always here.
