The Village of Gold River is going to get a FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessment Report.
In regular English, it means that someone from FireSmart BC will come to Gold River to figure out how prepared we are for a wildfire.
The assessment is part of a grant that the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) got. The SRD was awarded $394,000 to help towns prevent wildfires and lower their risk of damage if a wildfire happens. The money came from the Union of BC Municipalities FireSmart Economic Recovery Grant program.
The assessment will check to see how some of our community buildings would hold up in a fire.
Once the assessment is done, Gold River can apply for more funding to renovate buildings like the Anne Fiddick Aquatic Centre and the Gerry Morgan Memorial Centre.
Renovations can include things like installing tempered glass in all doors and windows, shielding the sides of buildings with fire-resistant material, replacing wood stairs with steel stairs, and putting in a metal roof.
Community centres are often places where people can go to stay safe when there is a big fire nearby.
Tahsis, Zeballos, the Ehattesaht/Chinehkint First Nation, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’ First Nation, Klahoose First Nation, Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, and We Wai Kai First Nation will also get FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessment Reports as part of this grant.
Some buildings in the SRD, like the Sayward Valley Firehall and the Zeballos Community Centre, will get FireSmart renovations.
This summer’s hot, dry weather has wildfires on everyone’s mind. Unfortunately, there have already been a few fires on the Island this year, but thankfully they’ve all been handled by firefighters.
