Before she ever moved to the Bulkley Valley, Dolly Goodenough consulted with the fire department in Campbell River (where she moved from), and the Fire Chief in Telkwa Derek Dickson, about how to be fire safe on her new property.
Goodenough bought property outside of the boundaries for town or village fire protection, and after what she saw happen in Fort McMurray, she planned ahead.
READ MORE: Smithers, Telkwa and RDBN begin evacuation information campaign
The Campbell River fire department gave her a list of hoses, pumps and items needed should she have a fire. She coordinated with Dickson in Telkwa to customize the list to her specific property, and then set about purchasing her list and having it delivered to her new property.
She arrived in June, and since that time has been making sure her property is as FireSmart as she could get it.
“Sine I arrived, I haven’t even had time to explore the communities yet. I’ve been working on this project to upgrade and modify my house and property,” Goodenough said.
“The Fort Mac fire scared me to death, and knowing I was going to be surrounded by trees, I decided to be proactive.”
Chief Dickson has visited her property several times to ensure she had everything she needed and knew how to use it all.
“I admire her want to be proactive, and have suggested a few modifications to help on her specific site, but her desire to protect her property to the best she can is impressive,” Dickson said.
Goodenough estimates all the equipment, hoses, pumps and cistern have cost about $4,000, but says the investment is worth the peace of mind.
Dickson awarded Goodenough with a Certificate of Recognition “for her commitment to fire safety and the preservation of life and property.” She was both surprised and pleased with the award.
“I didn’t expect anything like this, and I am very pleased to be recognized, but I really hope I never have to use any of it,” Goodenough remarked.
“This award is timely because we are currently running public awareness campaigns in Smithers, Telkwa and the RDBN (Regional District of Bulkley Nechako), on being FireSmart and to Know your Zone for evacuations, and being prepared for any number of events like forest fires or floods,” Dickson said.
“There are even programs in the RDBN, to help pay for some of the FireSmart improvements to your homes and neighbourhoods, and some insurance companies are even giving incentives and discounts for making your home and property safe.
“All of the agencies involved are willing to help people out, and FireSmart has a program where the coordinator can come to your property to do a free assessment of your fire safety mitigation, all people have to do is reach out and get involved.”
For more information on the FireSmart program, contact firesmartbc.ca, for Know your Zone townhalls, check interior-news.com for more information.
deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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