Hudson’s Hope Fire Department gives apparatus replacement presentation to council 

HUDSON’S HOPE, B.C. — Fred Burrows, director of protective services for the District of Hudson’s Hope, recently presented information to council in order for them to better understand the fire equipment replacement process.

The presentation covered the current state of the fire department’s apparatuses, replacement apparatus, new proposed housing regulations and financial implications of equipment purchases in the future. 

Hudson’s Hope Mayor Travous Quibell was impressed with Burrow’s presentation, praising the attention to detail provided to council members. 

“I really appreciated the presentation. It was very well put together, very well researched presentation,” said Quibell.

“[Burrows] has a lot of years in the industry, and he takes his time he puts in the effort when he’s researching information to present to council.”

The department’s current fire truck is a 2007 Spartan/Toyne. According to regulations, council must decide if the truck is due for replacement or to keep the vehicle for another five years. 

“One of the requirements that we’re beholden to is that when a piece of fire apparatus reaches a certain age, it either goes under additional scrutiny in order to continue to be insured, and that can only be done for a period of time,” said Quibell.

Burrows explains the cost implications of keeping the current truck and other options for purchasing a new truck. 

According to Burrow’s presentation, the apparatus base price has increased by 83.97 per cent in the last eight years, bringing the total cost of replacing the apparatus this year to $1,670,888.

Burrows predicts that keeping the current materials and postponing the replacements for five more years will cost an additional $1,522,283 or a total of $2,774,982.

“No one has a crystal ball, but when doing this type of replacement, consideration must be

given around future development when your fire department is very limited in resources,” said Burrows. 

He advocated for the department to buy an elevated master stream to allow firefighters to carry a ladder that can reach three-storey buildings during emergencies. 

“Over the last several years, we have seen the addition of a couple of buildings that are taller than traditionally existed in the community, up to three storeys,” according to Quibell.

On discussing new proposed provincial housing regulations, Burrows said many communities in the province have historically been zoned to build single-family detached homes and one or two-bedroom condos.

These homes are often too expensive for many people in BC. The condos often don’t meet the needs of growing families. The province is changing the zoning laws to make it easier for homeowners to add small-scale multi-unit homes and rows of houses in neighbourhoods.

According to data presented to council, the apparatus price base increased by 11.27 per cent in the first two months of 2024. The total increase over the last eight years was 83.97 per cent. 

Burrows says the department is at the beginning of an apparatus replacement period, with the next coming near 2050. 

Council asked if second-hand vehicles would be available from the used market and if they would be suitable investments. 

Buying a used vehicle could save money in the short term but may be more costly in the future due to the fire trucks having less time before needing to be replaced again. 

Decisions on fire apparatus will be made by the council in May after budget deliberations and deciding the most appropriate strategy to take. 

Council will decide the financial course of action after entering budget deliberations for the year in May.

The full council agenda can be viewed below: