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About Us
Summer Fire Restrictions
Bylaws
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Emergency Preparedness
Fire and Life Safety Presentations
FireSmart
Job Opportunities
Product Recalls
Smoke Alarms
FOR All EMERGENCIES, TELEPHONE 911.
For non-emergencies, telephone 604-935-8260
About Us
The Whistler Fire Rescue Service (WFRS) provides efficient service to residents and guests of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in the areas of fire suppression, rescue, including still water, ice, and high angle, first medical responder, motor vehicle incidents including Highway 99 from halfway to Pemberton to halfway to Squamish in the SLRD, wildfire (forest fire) fighting and inspections.
The WFRS works from three fire halls: Whistler Village, Alpine Meadows in the north and Spring Creek in the south. The service is staffed by 23 career firefighters working out of the Whistler Village fire hall and 60 paid on-call firefighters divided among the three fire halls. Three engines, a 20-metre Quint, a 29-metre aerial platform, a heavy rescue and a Compressed Air Foam System apparatus make up the emergency response equipment.
The Fire Rescue Service also delivers a comprehensive fire and life safety program involving:
- Fire inspections
- Fire hall tours
- Fire and life safety lectures
- Extinguisher displays
- Fire and Life Safety House
- Clown and puppet show for fire and life safety education
- FireSmart - Wildland Fire Education
- Learn-Not-Burn program in schools
- Getting To Know Fire for lectures, tours and school programs
- Emergency management for the resort municipality is a prime function of the Fire Rescue Service. This involves both planning and response in the event of a major incident within the resort community
BYLAWS
Click on the linked titles below to download relevant bylaws:
False Alarm Bylaw No. 1594, 2004 27.71 Kb
fire_protection__fireworks_bylaw
Roofing Bylaw 1720 33.07 Kb
ASTT Bylaw 37.82 Kb
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan
As a result of the wildfires in British Columbia in 2003, the Government of British Columbia commissioned the Filmon Report. In this report, one of the recommendations was that communities at risk from a wildfire should complete a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
In December of 2004, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, with a grant from the Union of B.C. Municipalities, began the process of preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan developed by a staff committee and Bruce Blackwell of B.A. Blackwell and Associates was divided into two areas: Wildfire Risk Analysis and Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The first analyzed the risk of a wildfire to the Resort Municipality and the second developed recommendations to protect the community in the event of a wildfire. The final report was presented to Council on February 6, 2006 but the implementation will take a number of years. However, some steps, such as roofing materials, have already been addressed.
One of the benefits of the study is the ability of the Fire Rescue Service to enter the fire and weather indices on any given day and create a fire hazard map for that day for the community.
If you have any questions on the reports please do not hesitate to contact the Fire Rescue Service.
Click here for Community Wildfire Protection Plan report
Click here for Wildfire Risk Management System report
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Emergency Preparedness
Is your family prepared for an emergency? In the event of an emergency, you will need basic supplies. You may need to get by without electricity or tap water. You should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. To find out more about emergency preparedness and what to put in an emergency preparedness kit, visit http://www.getprepared.ca/
In the event of a local emergency, the municipality will activate the Emergency Operations Centre, located at municipal hall, to oversee emergency management, evacuations if necessary, protection of life and property and recovery. During an emergency, this website, plus local radio station, Mountain FM, will be used as the primary information outlet. As well, a public information hotline may be established. Please ensure you and your family are prepared for an emergency and evacuation at any time.
Download the Emergency Plan. Click here to download. 930.36 Kb
Visit the Provincial Emergency Program website. Click here to go there now.
Visit the Provincial Pandemic Influenza website. Click here to go there now.
Fire and Life Safety
We offer an array of presentations and information links:
PDF Presentations:
Smoke Alarms
Cooking
GTKF_Home_Escape_Planning
Portable Fire Extinguisher Lesson
Related links:
Burn Fund
Risk Watch
Staying Alive
Office of Fire Commissioner
National Fire Protection Association
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FireSmart
Be FireSmart. Our forests are a source of great pride. We encourage our residents and visitors to enjoy all they have to offer, and to help us ensure their beauty is protected.
Whistler is in a high-risk area for wildfires. Please be careful and help prevent wildfires:
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Never toss a lit match
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Extinguish cigarettes completely
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Do not discard cigarettes and matches from vehicles or off your balconies and decks. Use interior ashtrays
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Do not burn open fires or barbecues if there is a campfire/barbecue ban in the area or in windy conditions
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If barbecues are permitted, do not dump hot coals. Ensure they are completely cold before dumping them in the garbage
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If campfires are permitted always ensure there are adequate people, water & shovels on site to control flames AND ensure fire is extinguished completely before leaving the site
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Be careful when touring with All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs or dirt bikes - their exhaust systems produce an enormous amount of heat and can ignite brush)
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Take the time to become fire aware: check for advisories on highway signs, radio and newspaper, call the 1-888-3-FOREST fire information line, with pre-recorded updates on wildfire locations, smoke advisories, wildfire hazards and campfire restrictions
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Obey all backcountry and trail closures and fire bans
Click here to download the FireSmart manual
Click here to visit the B.C. Forest Service site for Wildfire Information
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Job Opportunities
The Whistler Fire Rescue Service offers you the opportunity to serve the community in an exciting and challenging environment. You will enjoy a strong sense of teamwork and community service while learning new skills.
Whistler Fire Rescue Service recruits paid on call fire fighters each spring. Applications are accepted throughout the year, but watch this website and the local newspaper advertisements for further details on when the Fire Rescue Service is hiring.
Requirements
The following information is provided to advise you of what the requirements are to become a Paid-on-Call fire fighter:
- A valid BC driver's license and a means of transportation.
- A drivers abstract with your application and have no more than 9 points.
- You must be a full-time resident of Whistler and have lived in Whistler a minimum of one year.
- You must provide a criminal record search with your application.
Qualifying Process
- Aptitude testing
- Physical fitness testing
- Interview
- Applicants will be short-listed based on qualifications
Training Commitment
The paid-on-call recruit training is intensive and requires a considerable time commitment. Approximately 120 hours of training take place on Monday evenings and all day Saturday. Upon completion of the first three months, successful candidates will be placed at their respective fire hall for ongoing regular training, which occurs on Wednesday evenings. A second phase of recruit training will take place approximately three months later and involve some weekends.
Click here to download the Paid On Call Fire Fighter Application
Click here to download the Physical Agility Test information
Clickhere to download Requirement and Expectations information
Click here to visit the Justice Institute of BC website for information on fire fighting educational programs
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Product recalls
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Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms should be tested once a month; batteries changed yearly. Vacuuming the alarm each year will prevent a dust build up which may produce false alarms. Consider changing your smoke alarm with a new one after ten years. If your smoke alarm is hard wired into your electrical system, consider changing the smoke alarm to one that has battery back up so that if the power goes out your smoke alarm will still function. Use the best defense you have against fire - an approved smoke alarm.
Perfect for a child's bedroom! Click here for info on Sparky Smoke Alarm.
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