Telkwa Council met last Tuesday with a light agenda. As usual, the meeting started and ended with public comments. Concerns about pot holes around the Village dominated the time set aside for residents to bring up their concerns.
One resident noted that Coalmine Road is terrible to drive down. Councillor Annette Morgan, who chaired the meeting (Mayor Brad Layton participated via phone), said council will bring the concerns to the Public Works Department.
Fire Chief Laurence Turney then made a presentation to council about a new grant application to Union of BC Municipalities Funding for Emergency Operations Centres and Training for $25,000.
He said the intent of this funding stream is to support the purchase of equipment and supplies required to maintain or improve Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) and to enhance EOC capacity through training and exercises.
In Turney’s report to council he wrote the Village is working to increase its capacity to deal with emergencies through training and the purchase of services and equipment for the Village and its EOC. If successful, the Village plans on using the money to upgrade the electrical panel at the Village office to allow an existing generator to be used to maintain power and maintain an EOC in the event of a power outage; purchase a mobile weather station that can be deployed where required to provide real time temperature, wind speed and direction during an emergency; and hire part-time staff or a contractor to develop a digital contact list, public information materials and pre-planned messages for use within the Regional Mass Notification Program.
All of council in attendance (Councillor Rick Fuerst was not at the meeting) was in favour of Telkwa Fire Department applying for the grant money.
Councillor Annette Morgan then congratulated Chief Turney on the recent approval of a different grant.
The $25,000, also from UBCM, will be used to purchase a couple of things. The first, a remote control monitor that can apply water from Engine 11 by the pump operator without requiring the deployment of hoses or requiring the personnel to operate the nozzle. The money would also go to new wildland fire helmets with goggles, chin straps and neck shrouds. Turney is hoping the equipment should be delivered near the end of April or beginning of May, in time for the wildland fire season.