TheColumbia Valley - Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 22, 2006
Wanted: new fire truck
By Sandra Kelly
Special to The Pioneer
The Invermere Volunteer Firefighters’ Society has
applied to the federal government for status as a charity.
If the application is approved, the society will be
able to undertake major fund-raising initiatives and
issue charitable tax donation receipts.
It’s a move whose time has come, says Tom Mc-
Neil, president of the society and a volunteer firefighter
since 2002. The fire/rescue department needs
a new road rescue vehicle priced at $300,000, and
updated rescue equipment costing $45,000 in total.
“You need major donations to raise that kind of cash,”
says Tom.
The department’s current road rescue vehicle is
a customized 1991 F-150 model Ford truck. It seats
only two people and has limited access capability on
rugged terrain.
“We live in a mountainous area,” says Tom. “We
are dealing with steep grades, especially near the B.C./
Alberta border.”
The rescue equipment onboard the truck is inefficient
by today’s standards, he says. “It’s dated and it
takes too much time to set up. When it comes to road
rescue, an hour can make the difference between life
and death.”
The firefighters respond immediately to all 911
calls, he says. What’s at issue is the time needed to
complete the rescue operation on-site: to set up safety
gear, to access the vehicle if it has plummeted into a
gully, and to set up the rescue equipment.
If the victims are trapped inside the vehicle, the
Jaws of Life must be used. If the vehicle is on fire,
a water pump and hoses must be activated. A power
generator also may be required. Most situations call
for fast, efficient multitasking.
The department’s current Jaws of Life tool is calibrated
to cut through metal at the rate of 9,000 lbs.
per square inch. Vehicles are built more solidly now
than in 1991, says Tom. For today’s metal, you must
be able to cut at the rate of 13,000 lbs. per square
inch.
The portable power generator on the F-150 has to
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Tom McNeil, president of the Firefighters’ Society.
be removed from its storage compartment and set up,
and the water pump and hoses are old and cumbersome.
“Again, it’s about time,” Tom stresses. “It’s about
saving precious minutes.”
The department wants to buy an M-2 Chassis
model truck manufactured by Hub, a B.C. company
based in Burnaby. The truck will be custom-built and
outfitted to meet the department’s specific needs. Tom
says that one of its many advantages over the F-150
will be a fire-dousing foam induction system that uses
less water. “You want to carry as little water as possible.
Again, the extra weight adds time.”
The Hub truck also will have a six-person seating
capacity, state-of-the-art hydraulics, a built-in generator,
four access points for water, bigger and better storage
space, and superior off-road capability.
Tom says that if its application for charitable status
is approved, the fire-rescue department will commence
with fund-raising immediately. It is already “in
discussions” to acquire a residential building lot that
will be raffled off.
“That’s not confirmed,” he says. “But it would be
a great place to start.”
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 25
Just in the Nick of
time for Christmas!
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342-3160
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New
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8 or 12 oz,
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Invermere