RCMP investigate fourth suspicious blaze in as many months
Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 11:00 AM PST
Powell River RCMP are investigating a
suspicious fire that ravaged the lower floor of a building on Ash
Avenue in Townsite on the night of Saturday, January 7.
The building, built as Powell River Company’s Powell Stores and
later home at various times to Overwaitea grocery store, nightclub The
Cellar and other businesses, has been vacant for years. At 11 pm on
Saturday, RCMP along with Powell River Fire Rescue were called to a
structural fire on the lower level of the building. Firefighters
extinguished the fire but not before flames and smoke caused
substantial damage to the building.
Fire Chief Dan Ouellette said the quick response of the firefighters is
the only thing that prevented the entire building from going up. While
the fire remained in the lower corner, the smoke that filled the
structure prevented firefighters from entering deeper into the
building. Firefighters ended up removing a skylight to let smoke out,
which enabled them to enter the building and put out remaining spot
fires over the better part of the night. read
more...
Published: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 12:43 PM PST
Terry Peters, Powell River Fire Rescue deputy chief, said that after
his moustache last year he has actually managed to raise $150 by
promising not to grow one this year.
“I guess I had a pretty pathetic attempt last year,” said
Peters. “Mind you I wasn’t as bad as some...It’s all
for the cause of course.”
Many of Powell River’s firefighters did, however, sport their
‘staches to raise funds and support. Peters said the men have
been looking dapper “as usual” and that they have been
raising money as a group and as individuals to support the movement.
Darryl Jackson, auxiliary firefighter, organized this year’s
group called Mo Stash Fire, and as of the time of writing they had
raised $195. read
more...
A woman was flown to Vancouver Tuesday evening after she was hit by a
Powell River transit bus at the corner of Joyce Avenue and Alberni
Street.
The accident happened at 6:20 pm on November 22. The bus was travelling
west down Alberni and turning left onto Joyce. The pedestrian, a
30-year-old female, was crossing Joyce when she was struck by the bus,
according to Powell River RCMP.
Rob Southcott, BC Ambulance Service Powell River unit chief, attended
the accident. "The fire department did a very quick job of lifting the
bus," he said. "She was pinned underneath it, but not entangled. She
was under the middle part of the bus.”
Firefighters used a special piece of equipment to lift the bus up in
order to extricate the woman. “All the emergency services worked
together and we successfully removed the lady from under the
bus,” he said. “From all accounts, she is doing
well.” read
more...
Officials investigate cause of the blaze they believe is suspicious
Published: Wednesday, November 2, 2011 11:15 AM PDT
A fire that
destroyed the old clubhouse on the former golf course in Townsite on
Wednesday afternoon, October 26, was “absolutely
suspicious,” said Terry Peters, Powell River Fire Rescue deputy
chief.
Every available Powell River firefighter battled the blaze that broke
out just after 3 pm. Huge clouds of smoke poured from the old building
located in the 5500 block of Marine Avenue and drifted out over the
Strait of Georgia as flames broke out in different areas inside.
Emergency personnel were on the scene, but no one was reported injured.
RCMP closed Marine between Hawthorn and Dogwood streets to traffic both
ways as firefighters continued to battle the flames into the night.
Crews remained on the scene until 12:30 am fighting hot spots and small
fires that flared up over the evening. A watch was set up overnight.
The ruins were still smouldering the next morning.
The fire was aggressive in nature throughout the building, Peters said.
“It was very difficult to fight.” he said. “Because
it was a vacant structure, we had a no entry policy with our crews. We
didn’t want to put anyone in harm’s way. Of course, that
makes it difficult to fight, because we can’t get at the
base.”read
more...
Campaign focuses on preventing leading causes of home blazes
Published: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 10:30 AM PDT
Families can protect themselves from fire by
being ahead of the game and having a good offence.
Powell River’s fire department is teaming up with the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, October
9 to 15, to provide information to families about protecting themselves
from fire. This year’s theme is protect your family from fire and
the campaign focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires,
which are cooking, heating and electrical equipment, as well as candles
and smoking materials. Additionally, it urges people to protect their
homes and families with life-saving technology and planning.
Powell River Fire Rescue is participating in the Canadian Tire Fire
Safety Days on Saturday, October 15 as part of Fire Prevention Week.
Staff will be in attendance to talk to people about home escape
planning, smoke alarm maintenance and general safety questions. Sparky
the Fire Dog also will be present and members of the department will be
handing out items from the Fire Marshal’s Public Safety Council,
in cooperation with Canadian Tire.
read more...
A suspicious fire on the former site of Max Cameron Secondary School
has the Powell River RCMP asking the public to come forward with any
information that might lead to a suspect.
On Tuesday, October 11 at about 4 am police and the Powell River Fire
Rescue responded to a report of a structural fire on Joyce Avenue. The
building, which School District 47 once used as a daycare centre, was
in flames when fire crews arrived. The fire department extinguished the
blaze but the building sustained extensive damage.
The building was vacant and no one was injured during the fire or the
response.
“We had it out and extinguished and we pretty much had it
all wrapped up before the morning rush hour,” said Deputy Chief
Terry Peters. “We managed to contain it to the rear of the
building but in our belief it’s a total loss.”
The discovery of evidence of a propellant at the site and the fact that
the fire started from the exterior of the building led police to
believe that the fire was set deliberately. RCMP are still
investigating the exact cause of the fire and are looking for witnesses.
This is the second suspicious fire in that area in a short period. On
Saturday, September 24 a small shed was burned down in the 7000 block
of Duncan Street. The fire destroyed the building and police obtained
evidence suggesting that people had been at the location a short time
before the fire started.
Police assisted Powell River Fire Rescue in responding to a fire
complaint. Upon arrival at the location, a small shed was fully
engulfed in flames. At this time the fire is believed to be
suspicious. Anyone with information about this incident is asked
to please contact Powell River RCMP 604.485.6255 or CrimeStoppers
1.800.222.8477. read
more...
Published: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 10:21 AM PDT
City of Powell River officials have installed
a new emergency alerting system.
The city has contracted with One Call Now, a provider of group
notification systems based in Troy, Ohio, to install an automated
system that calls homes and businesses to contact them about
emergencies or notifications. The system will also direct residents to
take specific actions during an emergency.
Powell River Fire Rescue is using One Call Now Geo, a map-based system
that can target calls to a specific neighbourhood, street or geographic
area. In the event of an emergency, such as an evacuation order or a
safety message for a specific area, the system can phone thousands of
residents within minutes.
“It can extend beyond what we would consider emergencies, like
disasters, to the more common, everyday sorts of emergencies,”
said Dan Ouellette, director of fire and emergency services. “For
instance, if we have a natural gas leak, instead of us going to every
door and banging on it, we can use this system to alert people within a
given block or the area that we thought to be of danger and have them
moved to a different location. That’s very helpful for us,
because we don’t have a lot of staff to bang on doors.”
read
more...
Published: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 10:21 AM PDT
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck just off
the west coast of Vancouver Island at 12:41 pm on Friday, September 9.
Initial reports indicated the quake was 6.7, but those estimates were
later downgraded.
Many Powell River residents felt the quake, which caused gentle
swaying, items to fall from shelves and water in fish tanks to slosh
back and forth. Dan Ouellette, the city’s director of fire and emergency
services, said staff at the fire hall on Courtenay Street felt the
earthquake. “We have our own internal policies that if there is
any sort of shake at all, we immediately move all of our equipment
outdoors, meaning fire apparatus and staff, until we know a little bit
more,” he said. “We’ll do that for the remainder of
the day and that’s pretty standard. That’s what we did that
day.”
Other than that, there wasn’t much to do, added Ouellette.
“There were no reports of damage anywhere within the
community,” he said. “We had our own internal staff
communications plan initiated, which is in our emergency plan, but
there wasn’t really any point to initiating anything above the
communications side of things.”
The department moves equipment out of the fire hall because the
building is not earthquake-proof, Ouellette added. “We’re
not going to take any chances,” he said. “While we may not
feel much here at the fire hall, other than it’s shaking a little
bit, it may cause damage in other places. To get the equipment outside
in a timely fashion allows us to be able to get going should there be
anything else.” read
more...
Hundreds of association members link up on cross-country journey
Published: Wednesday, September 7, 2011 3:42 PM PDT
Two Powell River firefighters are travelling
to New York on their motorcycles to participate in events marking the
10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Mickey Adam and Carl Jones, members of Local 1298 of the International
Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) left Powell River on August 31. The
IAFF Motorcycle Group is hosting a tribute rally in Newburgh, New York.
On Sunday, September 11, thousands of firefighters will ride from
Newburgh to the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in New York City.
“We’re going to be there to honour the 343 firefighters and
all the civilians that were killed when the Twin Towers
collapsed,” said Adam. “There will be a ride on the Sunday
from Newburgh, New York to Ground Zero. They’re expecting 1,500
to 1,800 internationals on bikes, maybe more.”
On their journey across the United States, Adam and Jones will be
meeting up with other firefighters who will travel with them. The
association has outlined ride routes and firefighters from all over
North America will be joining in as the firefighters make their way to
New York. read
more...
Published: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:33 AM PDT
RCMP and Powell River Fire Rescue shut down
Joyce Avenue from Alberni Street to Barnet Street at around noon on
Thursday, August 18 as they dealt with a natural gas line breach near
the First Credit Union parking lot.
The leak began after a mini excavator hit a feeder gas line while
digging at the front of the parking lot. There was a smell of gas in
the air and the sound of the gas coming out of the line could be heard
in the area.
Fire crews sprayed water on the leak for a while to keep the gas, which
is lighter than air, down. Fire chief Dan Oulette said that had the
crew hit a main line the problem would be much larger. read
more...
Fire fighters lend hand with hospital oncology room upgrades
Published: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 10:58 AM PDT
Money recently donated by the Powell River
Professional Fire Fighters Charitable Society to the Bruce Denniston
Bone Marrow Society will go towards further upgrades at the Powell
River General Hospital oncology room.
Through fundraising events such as car washes the fire fighters
society, formerly named Link for Life, raised $1,000 to go towards the
upgrades. Fire fighter and society president Bill Grantham presented
Denniston society president Garry Anderson with a cheque last week,
just as the next stage of upgrades to the oncology room are set to
begin. read
more...
Fake plane crash involves all emergency responders
Published: Wednesday, June 8, 2011 11:06 AM PDT
Emergency
services personnel were put to the test on May 27 during a mock
disaster staged at Paradise Valley Exhibition Grounds to help train
first responders and prepare the city for the real thing.
With a 20-foot section of large metal culvert piping acting as a
fuselage, and a cast of bloodied and gored volunteers acting as
victims, with makeup and clothing from Vancouver Coastal Health and St.
John Ambulance, Powell River emergency crews responded to the mock
airplane crash as if it were the real thing. Having “dazed”
and “injured” survivors wandering around the crash site and
huddling in the wrecked fuselage helped add to the realism of the
scenario and forced emergency crews to try and stay calm and organized
amid the chaos.
Fire and Emergency Services, Powell River RCMP, BC Ambulance Service,
Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) and Powell River Search and Rescue
all arrived on site, each with a role to play. The fire department put
out the fake fire and dealt with the fake oil spills. RCMP interviewed
survivors and made sure that everyone on the flight list was accounted
for. Medics triaged the wounded and attended to those who needed
immediate help, while search and rescue looked for people who had
wandered into the woods. Even the coroner showed up on the scene to
deal with the dead from the crash, played by mannequins.
read more & watch the video...
Two paper machines shut down until repairs completed
Published: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 10:33 AM PDT
A fire at Catalyst Paper Corporation’s
Powell River division shut down two paper machines for a few weeks.
The blaze broke out in a cable equipment tray on Friday, May 20. The
company’s No. 9 paper machine was idled until last week and the
No. 10 paper machine is expected to be down until the end of this week.
Rick Maksymetz, manager of the Powell River division, said no one was
hurt. “It wasn’t a big fire, but where it happened, it
surgically did a lot of damage because of the impact on the electronic
cable trays,” he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
About a dozen Powell River firefighters responded to the fire,
said Deputy Chief Terry Peters. “It was very troublesome to fight
that fire, for the mill crews and ourselves,” he said. “It
obviously got pretty hot in there and did some significant damage to
the electrical components of the machines.” read
more...
In the event of a major earthquake, fire
trucks would be buried in the ruble of the Courtenay Street fire hall,
leaving residents to fend on their own.
Even a minor earthquake would damage the building to such an extent
that it would hinder the fire department’s ability to respond to
calls for assistance.
Dan Ouellette, director of fire and emergency services, addressed the
issue at the February 17 City of Powell River committee-of-the-whole
meeting. He is recommending that a new emergency services facility be
included as a priority in council’s strategic plan... read
more...
A quick response from firefighters helped save a boat parked on Gordon
Avenue after a fire broke out in the cabin.
At 2 pm on Monday, February 21 Powell River Fire and Emergency Services
received a call about a 24-foot boat on fire in an attached carport and
responded to the scene. The fire had started in the cabin and the fire
department arrived before it could spread. Deputy Chief Terry Peters
said fire personnel broke a window to reach the fire and only needed a
minimal amount of water to put it out. Peters said that if the fire had
broken the windows and been exposed to oxygen it would surely have
spread to the rest of the boat... read
more...
Bushiest month of the year ends with celebration of funds raised
To the relief of wives and girlfriends across Powell River, Movember
has come to an end and with it the crumb-catchers of all the men who
were raising money and awareness for prostate cancer.
On December 1 participants, friends and families gathered at
Kane’s Sports Bar and Bistro to celebrate the campaign, hand out
moustache awards and shave off whiskers. Erin Maclean from Image 1
Salon and Spa, with electric trimmer in hand, relieved firefighters and
School District 47 representatives of their moustaches. read
more & watch the video
Whether considered a fashion faux pas or
trendy crumb-catcher, moustaches are sprouting on men from a variety of
groups in Powell River in support of Movember.
Movember is a fundraising and awareness campaign in support of prostate
cancer research that asks men to grow moustaches during the month of
November. Participants take pledges, gather donations and raise
awareness throughout the month. Started in 2003 in Australia, the
movement has since spread to a number of countries throughout the
world, including Canada which raised the second-highest amount of money
last year, behind Australia.
Here in Powell River a number of organizations are taking part in the
campaign, including Powell River RCMP, Powell River Fire Rescue, Powell
River Kings and School District 47. Teams register at www.movember.com, where people can
make pledges and donate through the team of their choice. All the money
goes toward research leading to better screening and treatment and to
support services for prostate cancer survivors.
read more...
A car crashed through a pillar at the
Crossroads Village Shopping Centre on Wednesday, November 10, narrowly
missing a building and causing serious damage to the vehicle.
The crash severely damaged the post and knocked it off its concrete
footing. Powell River Fire Rescue members lifted the remnants of the
post with the jaws of life to reset it on its base. The vehicle missed
the building housing Westview Agencies Ltd. by a matter of centimetres.
read more...
Blaze started in large pile of debris spreads to trees
A fire that broke out on property located at
the upper end of Westview Avenue could have been much worse if it had
occurred during the summer.
Powell River Fire Rescue firefighters responded to the blaze just
before 7 pm on Saturday, October 30, said Terry Peters, assistant fire
chief. “We found a very large pile of what appears to be
construction debris of some sort that was fully involved,” he
said. “The fire is still being investigated, so we are not sure
how it started.”
The blaze spread to about six trees, which made it an interface fire,
Peters explained, describing it as a mini-forest fire. “The time
of the year was certainly on our side. In July or August, it would have
been a very different scenario.”
read more...
After 36 years of service with Powell River Fire Rescue, Deputy Fire
Chief Tom Ellis is hanging up his boots and calling it a career.
On Tuesday, October 26, Ellis walked out of the station for the last
time as an active firefighter. Ellis won’t be officially retired
until the beginning of 2011, but he is cashing in some holiday time to
get used to the idea of retirement before taking it on full-time.
read more...
Fire Department spreading word about “night noses”
October 3 to 9 is Fire Prevention Week
throughout Canada and Powell River Fire Department is reminding
homeowners to keep up to date on their fire detectors.
“Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” is the theme of
this year’s prevention week, which has been promoted for 88 years
now by the National Fire Protection Association. Organizers are using
the theme to promote the use of up-to-date smoke detectors and to
remind people to make sure they have the proper number of detectors and
that they are in working order.
When people are asleep at night they are unable to smell smoke, which
is why Deputy Fire Chief Tom Ellis calls smoke alarms “your nose
at night.” In the first three months of 2010 20 people in BC died
in fires where the difference between life and death may have come down
to a matter of moments. A functioning smoke detector can provide those
much needed moments. read
more...
Firefighters will be passing around the boot
over September 24 and 25 to raise money for the fight against muscular
dystrophy.
Powell River professional firefighters will be at Town Centre Mall,
Safeway, Save-On-Foods and Walmart on Friday with boots in hand looking
for donations. On Saturday they will be outside Town Centre Mall and
Safeway. read
more...
A 19-year-old male motorcyclist was severely
injured after a collision at the intersection of Arbutus Avenue and
Sycamore Street in Townsite on Thursday, August 19.
RCMP were called to the scene at approximately 9 pm, along with Powell
River Fire and Rescue and BC Ambulance Service. The motorcyclist had
been travelling eastbound along Arbutus, toward Wildwood, when the
driver of a minivan travelling in the opposite direction turned onto
Sycamore directly in front of the motorcyclist. read
more...
Powell River Fire and Rescue was called to
Marine Avenue around 10:30 am on Thursday, July 22 in response to a
fire that had started in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.
Karen Whyard and her dog Koda were in an older model Buick car driving
down Marine when Whyard smelled smoke. She pulled over and saw that
smoke was coming out from between her feet. She dumped a bottle of
water on the seat before Rene Glangeaud, from Rene’s Pasta, came
out with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire.
read more...
City of Powell River’s fire
insurance rating has improved.
The last time Powell River was assessed for fire safety was in 1980.
Fire Underwriters Survey conducted the test then and they updated it in
2010.
“We’ve improved mainly as a result of upgrades to our water
distribution system,” said Powell River’s Fire Chief, Dan
Ouellette, who worked closely with the city’s waterworks and
engineering departments, as well as Fire Underwriters, on the
assessment. Other improvements during this period included training
protocols, staff effectiveness and better equipment. read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue firefighters responded to a fire at Oceanview
Estates, 7050 Glacier Street, around 12:30 pm on Wednesday, June 2.
Assistant Fire Chief Terry Peters said firefighters knocked the fire
down. "We contained it to one suite," he said. "We're on the front of
the building, we have our ladder truck, our rescue truck and all of our
resources here. We have it contained at the moment and we're pretty
much in the overhaul stage." read
more...
Volunteer victims and emergency
workers practice for the real thing
The simulated situation, which took place last Wednesday,
April 28, was part of a mock disaster that Provincial Emergency Program
(PEP) in conjunction with Emergency Social Services, RCMP, Powell River
General Hospital, Powell River Fire and Rescue, Powell River Search and
Rescue and Emergency Health Services, put on as a training exercise and
as a test of our emergency services.
The firefighters go in first, making sure the crash site is safe,
extinguishing smoke flares that they themselves lit. They start to
evacuate the wounded, starting with those who can walk, coming in with
stretchers for the others after. They move slower than they would in a
real situation, for safety reasons, but otherwise treat it as the real
deal, often only breaking character to marvel at the accuracy of fake
wounds.
“The crews all responded up here on a routine response with some
brief knowledge of what was happening we just get through our
dispatchers,” said assistant fire chief Terry Peters. “Our
job is to assess and secure exits for the people...then they assess the
scene, waiting for other services.” read
more...
A handbook entitled Safe at Home, packed full
of information and tips to help prevent carbon monoxide and fire
tragedies, is on its way to Powell River homes.
The handbook arrives ahead of British Columbia’s enhanced fire
code which, effective May 1, mandates smoke alarms for all homes and
sleeping rooms regardless of building age. read
more...
City of Powell River council voted at the
March 4 meeting to lift the moratorium on the sale of open burning
permits.
Council made the decision after listening to presentations about the
issue at the committee-of-the-whole meeting earlier the same day. Dan
Ouellette, director of fire and emergency services, recommended council
ban backyard open burning and implement a yard waste curbside
collection program once a month in April and November, the months when
residents currently are allowed to burn with a permit. read
more...
Staff recommend two projects in 2010
to address issue
City of Powell River staff have outlined a plan to deal
with old and deteriorating water pipes in the Townsite....
The fire department did flow testing in the Townsite along with
the engineering and public works departments, Ellis added. “In
some areas we were down by 50 per cent,” he said. “People
in the Townsite think ‘we have a fire hydrant up here,
we’re well protected.’ Well, we hook up to the hydrant and
we start the flow and our pressure is reduced by 50 per cent. Now we
can’t put the house fire out because our trucks can’t put
the water through the pump. Insurance comes after us or the city.”
Once an insurance company knows there is this problem, Ellis said,
there are homeowners and businesses that will lose their fire rating.
“It will go up,” he said about insurance costs.
“That’s why it’s very important that we get this
done.” read
more...
Impaired driving is the suspected cause of a motor vehicle
incident in Westview.
At 10 pm on Tuesday, February 9, Powell River RCMP and Powell River
Fire Rescue crews responded to the incident in the 3400 block of Joyce
Avenue. The 36-year-old male driver was traveling southbound when the
vehicle he was operating hit and damaged two unoccupied vehicles parked
in front of a residence on Joyce. No injuries were reported. The male
was detained by police and investigated for impaired driving. He was
released and is scheduled to appear in court in April.
A majority of Canadian parents are’nt aware of the
scald and burn hazards in their homes.
A survey by Safe Kids Canada found 70 per cent of Canadian parents did
not know that the most common cause of burn injuries to children is
scalds from hot liquids, such as spilled hot drinks and hot tap water,
rather than fire.
Tom Ellis, Powell River Fire Rescue deputy chief, said most adults
realize that children need to be kept safe from fire or hot objects
like the stove, but they do not always remember that hot liquids are
just as dangerous. read
more...
Flight crew avoids injury when landing
gear fails to deploy
A pilot and co-pilot of a twin-engine commercial aircraft walked away
from their aircraft’s belly landing at the Powell River airport
this week.
At 8:15 am on Monday, January 25, Powell River RCMP, Powell River Fire
Rescue and BC Ambulance Service were called to the airport regarding an
aircraft in distress. It was reported that an Orca Airways Piper Navaho
was unable to lower its landing gear and was attempting an emergency
landing. read
more...
Councillors vote not to sell permits
until a decision is made
City of Powell River council voted at the December 17 meeting to put a
moratorium on the sale of 2010 residential backyard burning permits. read
more...
Open burning inside city boundaries is a hot topic that sparks a
heated debate between opponents and proponents. Powell River’s
fire chief has recommended that the city ban open burning beginning
January 1, 2010. City of Powell River council is expected to play hot
potato with the issue at the December 17 council meeting.
Dan Ouellette, director of fire and emergency services, outlined the
pros and cons of allowing open burning, which is currently allowed in
April and November, in a report to council. read
more...
VIDEO
– In a hidden area of the Powell River airport, firefighters have
been tearing apart vehicles.
Terry Peters, Powell River Fire Rescue assistant chief, said with the
acquisition of new Jaws of Life equipment, the entire department has
been running through training, including career staff, auxiliary staff
and participants from the Van Anda Fire Department. read
more or watch the video...
Powell River Fire Rescue has sent its new
fire truck back to the United States for repairs.
Dan Ouellette, Powell River’s fire chief, said the 2007
Rosenbauer rescue pumper needs to have work done on the pumping drive
line. “The truck runs fine,” he said. “We’ve
had some problems with everything that deals with engaging the pump to
pump water.” read
more...
City of Powell River and rural fire chiefs are discussing sharing
resources to offset declining auxiliary and volunteer numbers. The
talks include a discussion about regionalizing fire services.
Dan Ouellette, Powell River’s fire chief, said his department
hosted a meeting with fire chiefs from rural fire departments in the
late part of September. “It’s just preliminary discussion
based on where we’re going to be in a few years and can we better
share resources that we have today,” Ouellette said.
“Elected officials have not been brought into this because there
really wasn’t any reason to do that at this point.” read
more...
Powell River RCMP and Powell River Fire Rescue responded to a
vehicle fire on Duncan Street at Tanner Avenue. Upon arrival, emergency
personnel found a green 1996 GMC Yukon fully engulfed in flames. The
vehicle had been parked on a grassy area adjacent to the roadway for
the past week and was for sale. Initial examination of the scene failed
to readily identify a source of the fire as the vehicle was extensively
damaged, said Sergeant Cam Muir. read
more...
Truck
needed ~~ Dan Ouellette, fire chief, Powell River Fire Rescue
In
response to John Carlson's letter ["Truck needed?" September 30], I
respect Mr. Carlson's right to his opinion however there are some
statements that are not accurate. I would like to take this opportunity
to comment.
Carlson questioned why the department would send a
fire truck to the wildfires in 2003. Powell River Fire Rescue resisted
sending any resources to this event until the provincial government
declared a state of emergency, giving little choice as to whether we
wanted to participate or not.
Short-term arrangements were then
made with neighbouring fire departments should assistance be required,
never leaving the city unprotected. The City of Powell River also
received funds for services rendered in excess of $185,000 used to pay
off the remaining balance on a fire truck. read
more...
During the Kelowna forest fires six years ago, Powell River dispatched
a pumper truck to assist for approximately 15 days. It was a noble
gesture and probably served as good on-the-job training for the crew.
The question begging to be asked was: by taking this fire-fighting
apparatus out of service to the taxpayers, did it leave the community
unprotected or was it that we did not actually need the truck anyway? read
more... click
here to read the department's rebuttal...
Powell River Fire Rescue is hoping this year’s Fire Prevention
Week will serve as a reminder not to get burned.
Residents are being urged to develop and practice escape plans during
Fire Prevention Week, October 4 to 10.
“Children at school know what to do when the fire alarms sound
because they practice the fire drill,” said Tom Ellis, deputy
fire chief. “However, these same children may or may not know
exactly what to do at home because they have not practiced a
plan.” read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue’s latest acquisition, a pumper truck
purchased in the eastern United States, has made its way back to the BC
coast.
Dan Ouellette, fire chief, and Tom Ellis, deputy chief, picked the
truck up in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and drove it back to BC’s coast
through all kinds of weather, tornadoes excepting. Lititz is an
Amish/Dutch community about 140 kilometres west of Philadelphia.
Ouellette said the fire department had been looking for a used piece of
fire apparatus that suits local requirements for about a year now. read
more...
City of Powell River has purchased a used fire truck.
The city bought the truck, a pumper rescue apparatus, for under
$200,000. The budget was $300,000. Fire chief Dan Oullette and deputy
chief Tom Ellis purchased the truck in Lititz, Pennsylvania and are
driving it back to Powell River.
Powell River’s professional firefighters are hoping their boots
will be awash with donations during their annual collection for
muscular dystrophy.
Bill Grantham, president of Local 1298 of the International Association
of Fire Fighters, said Powell River’s firefighters have been
involved in the boot drive since 1961 and raised more than $100,000
through this local. read
more...
A fire at Silke's Organic Market Place on Marine Avenue could have been
much worse than it was.
The fire broke out in the basement of the building, where store owners
Volker and Silke Pfeifer have their recycling room and food preparation
area. There is a waterline in the room and heat from the flames caused
the pipe to burst. The water extinguished the flames. read
more...
A Pacific Coastal Airlines plane en route from Port Hardy to Vancouver
made an emergency landing at the Powell River airport at 1:30 pm on
Monday, August 17.
Spencer Smith, vice-president of Pacific Coastal, said a light in the
cockpit came on indicating smoke in the rear cargo cabin. "Any
indication of fire in an aircraft is considered an emergency," he said.
"They were only 15 miles from Powell River and they immediately began
to descend." read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue personnel are hoping new Jaws of Life
equipment will help them be a cut above in extracting people from
vehicles. Changes in automotive manufacturing practices since the
existing Jaws of Life was purchased makes the old set very difficult to
use with modern-day vehicle metallurgy. read
more...
Burning is prohibited throughout the City of Powell River. This is
consistent with a campfire and open burning restriction province-wide
on Crown lands.
Open fires in the city limits have been completely shut down until
there is significant relief and a drop in the fire hazard rating. read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue responded to three fires recently.
Captain Terry Peters said workers at Town Center Mall were lifting the
roof and cutting out sections. "It was left unattended and a fire
started. The mall staff and workers managed to knock it down by the
time the fire department arrived. read
more...
City of Powell River staff members have authority to replace an aging
pumper truck at auction rather than going through traditional
procurement channels. City council has authorized the expenditure of up
to $300,000 for the replacement.
Tor Birtig, manager of operational services, reminded council that in
November 2008, council authorized staff to purchase a used vehicle.
"We are seeking a used vehicle approximately 10 years old," Birtig
said. read
more...
Quick action by Powell River Fire Rescue contained a blaze called in on
Canada Day.
Tom Ellis, deputy fire chief, said fire crews responded at 3:44 pm to
7173 Alberni Street, which is the Capilano Highway Services facility.
"The initial report came in as a structural fire but when crews arrived
it apparently was a tar pot that was fully engulfed," Ellis said. "We
strung 1,000 feet of four-inch hose, we used 20 gallons of foam to
extinguish the fire and that was basically it. read
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Two injured teenage females were transported from Scout Mountain north
of Powell River over the weekend...
...RCMP received a distress call after the caller heard someone yelling
for help. Police, Powell River Search and Rescue, the BC Ambulance
Service and Powell River Fire Rescue responded to the incident. The
initial call to RCMP was made at 8:15 pm on Saturday, June 6. read
more...
Two men were killed in a motor vehicle incident north of Wildwood that
tied up traffic for hours....
...The single vehicle incident occurred on Highway 101 south of Gibsons
Beach. RCMP and Powell River Fire Rescue were the initial responders.read
more...
With warmer weather approaching, people enjoying the outdoors are urged
to stick with footwear, even though it's tempting to tan the tootsies.
...Tom Ellis, deputy fire chief, said this year crews are not going out
as frequently for needle pickups as they have in past. What they are
finding is they are getting calls from apartment managers or people
with rental homes who are picking up 200 or 300 used needles. read
more...
Snagged and downed power lines on Marine Avenue resulted in the driver
of a truck having to remain in the cab until BC Hydro crews came to
free him.
Powell River RCMP responded to a report of power lines down on Marine
Avenue near Gerrard Street on Wednesday, May 6. Police closed the road
immediately and diverted traffic around the area. read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue has an extensive recorded history dating back
to its formative years. The department, however, is hoping to expand
its archive even further.
The community's firefighting services date back nearly 100 years to the
establishment of the Powell River Company. "The formation of the fire
department runs parallel to the beginning of the community," said Dan
Ouellette, fire chief. read
more...
Reports of canine barking in the vicinity of the Westview Ferry
Terminal prompted residents to alert the fire department. Ever
obliging, the firefighters went out to check. read
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Two auxiliary firefighters have ascended the ladder into the
professional ranks. Rob Devlin and Kevin Cote, after a month of
on-the-job training, have been assigned shifts at Powell River Fire and
Rescue. read
more...
Fire damage from a burning mattress in the Westview Hotel was contained
to the room in which the fire started.
Dan Ouellette, chief of Powell River Fire Rescue, said the tenant of
the room admitted the cause of the fire. "He had been smoking and fell
asleep, setting the mattress on fire," Ouellette said. "The fire pretty
much consumed whatever was in that room but didn't breach the room." read
more...
Powell River Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Tom Ellis said a call was
received from 911 at 9:32 am on Wednesday, December 17, reporting a
blaze in the 6700 block of Drake Street. read
more...
Keeping up with technological change will be a challenge for Powell
River Fire Rescue.
"Like every other business, organization or company today, we are
influenced by technological change," said Dan Ouellette, Powell River's
new fire chief. read
more...
Locating fires in the Powell River region has become a more
tactile activity for firefighters.
Following the installation of new computer equipment in Rescue One, the
first response fire vehicle, the truck now has on-the-road GPS tracking
ability, a link to 911 dispatching and Internet capability. read
more...
After 35 years of service, Dean Gerhart, chief of Powell River
Fire Rescue, has retired.
On October 31 there was a changing of the guard ceremony at the fire
hall, where Gerhart promoted Dan Ouellette, deputy chief, to chief, and
Tom Ellis, from assistant chief to deputy chief. read
more...
Odour results in woman being taken to emergency
department
Renovations in the Town Centre Mall's Overwaitea store left a bad smell
for mall employees on Monday, May 12.
Powell River Fire and Rescue Chief Dean Gerhart said the fire
department received a call at 7:15 am after a three-quarter inch
natural gas line was cut in Overwaitea. read
more...