The Chimney and Felker Lakes Community Association’s Volunteer Fire Hall received a grant in 2022 for some electrical upgrades and fire hazard signage.
Below is the Final Report :
Let us begin with a thank you for your generosity. Our little volunteer department really does appreciate your funding support.
The original plan evolved a little due to some careful shopping.
The Wildland Fire Hazard sign was acquired “lightly used” at a discounted price. Calling it used is an overstatement. It was never installed at it’s previous home since they couldn’t get a permit approved at their desired location so it was installed on the street side of our fire hall. The sign is a standard aluminum format commonly seen on other firehalls and information centers. The WLCF logo (24”x24”) was provided by Schickworks and billed to WLCF.
(It is hung level, the camera was not.)
Inside this door shown on the picture below, (and to the right) is a typical electrical panel for the building.
We have had a generator since 2017, but no simple and effective method to use it during an emergency other than extension cords and a door or window left ajar. Your funds were used (after receiving quotes from 3 local electrical companies) to hire Gridlock Electric to install an electrical panel next to the original. They also wired a specialized plug and on the outside of the building and provided a cable to connect our generator to this new panel.
In the event of an emergency within a power outage, we manually move the generator from the storage location to the outside of the building, plug it in, start it, flip one switch on the new panel. This disconnects power from the street and feeds the lighting, well water pump and most of the electrical outlets within the building. No electric furnace or oven function. That would require a very large generator.
To do this job Gridlock required details of what each circuit on the old panel served so we volunteers had to track each and document them. As a bonus, we now have a map of the building showing circuit numbers to replace the hand written information on the old panel that was no where near correct. WLCF logos were added to the cord and the panel.
Both of these components came in under budget, so after attempting to discuss the “surplus funds” we took the liberty to build on the 2021 funding for wildland fire tools by purchasing additional 1 ½” forestry hose and grub hoes to complete the full compliment of 4 “packages” meeting the BC Wildfire Service/Fire Chiefs Association of BC.
We completed the annual S-100 Wildland Fire refresher training and practical field exercises on June 7 & 14 with 7 & 8 volunteers in attendance.
The FireSmart community assessment was completed over multipole days by a FireSmart trained volunteer. We conducted visual surveys from the street or in person on private property where residents were home an cooperative. As expected there is quite a range of FireSmart status.
We propose to use this data to plan treatments on the crown lands as funding becomes available and the basis to gently encourage neighbors to take on the FireSmart principles on their property. Community workshop(s) are proposed for early spring 2023.
We took action on 3 wildland fires within our area of influence in the summer of 2022. All were industry related: 2 escaped burns from the fuel reduction treatments and 1 on a selective harvesting operation. The 2021 wildland fire tools, hose and pumps were put to good uses. Plus, we prevented one by responding to an abandon campfire. Thank you once again.
Fuel, oil. Supplies etc. in the attached budget was used to balance the report to 0.
Please do not hesitate to request any additional details or clarification.
Allen Schaad
Fire Chief, Chimney & Felker Lakes Volunteer Fire Department