Carmi residents to receive city fire protection service

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton is expanding its fire protection boundary.

City council has unanimously approved a request from Penticton deputy fire chief Chris Forster to support the addition of the Upper Carmi neighbourhood up to the eight kilometre mark from fire station 202 into the regional district fire protection agreement.

Fire chief Larry Watkinson found clear support for the initiative following a town hall meeting of Upper Carmi residents on Nov. 30, 2016.

The area, which currently has no fire protection, would benefit from significant insurance reductions as well as much greater access to medical and rescue emergency services from being included in the city’s fire protection area, council learned at its regular meeting March 21 in a report accompanying the recommendation.

The report noted the city’s capability to provide the service without compromising present firefighting service to the city.

The service will be paid for as outlined through a fire protection agreement between the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen and the city.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.