Kelowna has added to the roster of other B.C. Interior communities for whom it handles fire dispatch and record-keeping services.
Starting May 30, the City of Kelowna will provide fire dispatch and records management for the 16 fire departments located in the Regional District of East Kootenay.
The Kelowna Fire Department already provides dispatch service to the Regional Districts of Central Okanagan and Okanagan Similkameen.
“We are able to provide the new service within our existing capacity,” said Travis Whiting, deputy chief of KFD. “The selection of the Kelowna Fire Department to dispatch for the RDEK is a reflection of the professional and efficient work our dispatchers do in support of local first responders.”
The five-year agreement between the two local governments will generate a net revenue of approximately $835,000 over the duration of the contract for Kelowna.
“The City of Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services provided outstanding service for many years and we are looking forward to continuing that same high level of fire dispatch service through Kelowna,” said Sanford Brown, the RDEK's building and protective services manager.
“This transition will be seamless. residents of the East Kootenay and our firefighters should not notice any interruption in service as we move the call centre from Cranbrook to Kelowna later this spring.”