Fraserway RV has donated $20,000 to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), which will be used to purchase equipment storage for the Loon Lake, South Green Lake, Little Fort, and Blackpool Fire Departments.
“We are happy to be able to support the TNRD and their efforts in their region to ensure they have the tools, equipment, and resources needed to provide essential community based fire departments,” says campaign spokesperson Amanda Henschell. “This latest donation will allow them to continue to serve the area and provide safety and security to those they protect.”
It’s not the first time that Fraserway RV has made a donation to assist fire departments within the TNRD. In January 2019 they donated $275,000 to the TNRD to go towards replacement of the fire hall at Loon Lake, after the critical piece of infrastructure was destroyed during the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire. The TNRD assumed responsibility for fire protection services in Loon Lake in January 2019, following a referendum in the community in 2018.
Also in January of this year, the Adventurer Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Fraserway RV Ownership and Family, donated nearly $20,000 in matching funds to the Cache Creek Volunteer Fire Department, to help them purchase a new primary fire engine. An online auction in December 2018 raised more than $19,000 for the new engine, and Fraserway had pledged to match the money raised up to a maximum of $100,000. The CCVFD took delivery of their new engine in July.
The newly-received $20,000 grant will be used to purchase C-Cans for the four fire departments, which will use them to store essential firefighting gear.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the generous support from Fraserway RV,” says Jason Tomlin, TNRD’s Manager of Fire Protection Services. “Their continued funding to support regional fire departments is very much appreciated.”
Earlier this year the Red Cross announced that it would be providing $86,785 to the Loon Lake Fire Department, to allow them to replace equipment destroyed by the Elephant Hill wildfire.
The money was allocated to replace items such as personal protective gear, fire hoses, and other specialized equipment, including a breathing apparatus air fill station, said Tomlin.
“There’s some big ticket stuff in there,” he said, noting that firefighting equipment is more expensive than similar items at a hardware store. “People say ‘Why can’t you buy a ladder from Home Depot?’ But the equipment needs to meet firefighting standards.”
editorial@accjournal.ca
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