search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • APRIL 2019


29 Preparation essential for wildfire response


North Okanagan workshop draws intense interest


by JACKIE PEARASE ARMSTRONG – The BC


Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative is working to help producers better prepare for the upcoming fire season. A series of farm and ranch


wildfire preparedness workshops held across the province between late January and mid-March has been very well-received and organizers are not surprised. “We’ve heard through


producer associations that wildfire is one of the main concerns for producers, and getting ready for it, when it comes to climate change,” explains workshop facilitator Patrick Steiner. A workshop February 14 in


Armstrong attracted about 65 North Okanagan producers growing a wide array of commodities including sheep, vegetables, beef, pork, chickens, dairy, horses and even cannabis. The workshop provided valuable input from wildfire response, emergency personnel and local government representatives. Steiner explained the roles


of wildfire resource personnel, such as the BC Wildfire Service, local fire departments and regional districts, during an emergency. The importance of being prepared was emphasized. “You will rely less on


resources by being prepared beforehand,” notes Steiner. “The more you do in advance, the less stress for you during an emergency.” The BC Wildfire Service’s mandate is to protect Crown


land but it also responds to lightning strikes on private land outside of fire protection areas and works with local fire departments to set up sprinkler protection units (SPUs) where needed. “Unfortunately, we can do the wildland work on the ground but we won’t do structures,” says wildfire technician Adam Vander Meer of the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations rural development office in Vernon. “We’re building our lines and our guard to stop that fire at that point; unfortunately, the structure may be lost.” Armstrong Spallumcheen


Fire Department training officer Chris Bridgeman explains local fire departments are restricted to providing services within their fire zones but can engage fires on the fringes of their zone with approval from the regional fire centre if the blazes threaten the local area and many members are involved with setting up SPUs. “We do offer quite a bit of


protection within our area for the wildfire response,” he notes. Co-facilitator Kevin Smith


brought ample hands-on knowledge to the workshop presentation, being a FireSmart representative with the Regional District of Central Kootenay, assistant chief at the Kaslo Fire Department and a wildfire mitigation specialist. Smith says having a wildfire


preparedness and mitigation plan in place before the fire season starts is key.


See WILDFIRE on next page o


Wildfires that have swept through the province over the past two summers have prompted rural homeowners to beef up their emergency preparedness plans. JACKIE PEARASE PHOTO


Canada’s Verified Beef Production Plus Program


Simple. Practical. Trusted. DEVELOPED FOR PRODUCERS, BY PRODUCERS.


Helping you meet market requirements simply and cost effectively.


1-866-398-2848 ext 2 | VBP@cattlemen.bc.ca www.verifiedbeefproductionplus.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48