The Regional District of Central Kootenay will not extend fire protection services to Whitewater Ski Resort after a staff analysis found response times and staffing limitations made coverage unworkable.
In a report presented to the board Thursday, Dan Seguin, general manager of fire and emergency management services, concluded that adding the resort to an RDCK fire protection service area is not feasible at this time.
Whitewater Ski Resort sits outside any established fire protection boundary. Seguin’s report noted that the closest RDCK fire department is in Ymir, about 27.5 km away, with estimated response times of 30 to 35 minutes under typical conditions.
These response times are subject to variability due to weather, road conditions and volunteer availability.
He also pointed to volunteer staffing constraints and the need to maintain service levels in existing fire protection areas.
“The RDCK is unable to guarantee response times, staffing levels, or apparatus availability without negatively impacting service levels within existing fire protection area,” Seguin said.
He said Nelson Fire Rescue also signalled it would not be able to provide service to the resort, leaving RDCK departments as the only potential providers.
Whitewater falls within RDCK Electoral Area E Director Cheryl Graham told staff Thursday that the outcome of Seguin’s report was “disappointing,” though she acknowledged the service challenges.
“I do understand why the RDCK cannot provide fire service to Whitewater, although it is an important, I think, asset to the whole region. And I think it’s disappointing.”
She asked Seguin whether there were alternative supports the district could provide instead.
“Is there anything we can do to assist, like they’re trying to expand and this is an important asset to the area,” Graham said.
“Is there anything the regional district can do to support them with like fire services training, fire services like PPE, anything like that? Like, is there any options for them?”
Seguin said he recognizes Whitewater as an asset, noting there is potential to explore additional supports.
“If they do end up having their own fire service out there, that it would be something that we could be in conversation with. If they have my name, they have my phone number and I’m happy to coordinate that with them directly,” Seguin said.
In addition to evaluating the feasibility of extending RDCK fire protection services, staff also considered the role of on-site measures, including the resort’s proposed water system and fire protection infrastructure.
While detailed design review falls under the authority of the province and the engineer of record, Seguin noted that on-site water supply, fire storage, sprinklering and other self-protection measures are appropriate and necessary given the limited availability of external fire response.
He also emphasized that on-site fire protection measures, including water supply, sprinklering and other infrastructure, will be critical given the lack of external response capacity.
“Self-protection and on-site fire resilience measures may represent the primary and most reliable approach to managing fire risk at the resort under current conditions,” Seguin wrote.
The board received the report for information and directed no further action at this time. The issue could be revisited in future if regional conditions or infrastructure change.
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