Bessborough Fire Service Expansion Study

Bessborough Fire Service Expansion Study Findings and Recommendations

June 25, 2025

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) thanks everyone who took part in the Bessborough Fire Service Expansion Study. Our team has reviewed all the information gathered from the Fire Service Needs Assessment.

Fire Service Expansion Decision

On June 19, 2025, the project team presented findings, public feedback and recommendations to the Regional Board. The Regional Board decided not to expand fire services in the area for now. They considered the high costs of starting and maintaining a fire service. These costs include building a facility, buying equipment, and hiring, training and equipping personnel.

Service Options Presented

Our consultant, FireWise, and the project team developed these service options. The Regional Board reviewed them before making their final decision.

Option 1: Maintain the Current Situation (No New Service)

This option means no new fire services will be added. It's the most affordable choice for residents because it doesn't require a large upfront investment that would be covered by taxes. While this may not meet some residents’ hopes, rising costs of fire equipment make it the most cost-effective solution.

Advantages:

• No costs for a fire hall, trucks, gear, hoses, etc.
• No ongoing annual operating expenses.
• No operational liability risks.

Disadvantages:

• The community will still face the same risks, with no emergency response for non-forestry fires, rescues or other services.
• This may not meet resident expectations for fire protection.

Option 3: Create a Composite Staffed Fire Service

This option is very expensive. We estimate initial startup costs of $7,500,000 and ongoing operational costs for general expenses, wages, maintenance and future equipment management.

Cost breakdown:

• Initial capital investment: About $12,500 per resident.
• Ongoing operational costs: Around $833.33 per resident, totaling $500,000 per year.
• Additional future capital costs: Another $250,000, or $416.66 per resident.

In total, the first-year cost would be about $13,749.99 per home in the proposed service area (based on around 600 residences). After the first year, ongoing operational costs could add about $1,249.99 per year to each property's tax bill.

Advantages:

• Personnel costs for a hybrid service are lower than full-time paid fire services.
• Paid personnel can provide a reliable fire service. The Chief manages administrative tasks, training coordination, on-scene command, budget development, equipment purchases, repairs, public education and fire inspections.
• The Chief would support volunteer firefighters, ensuring consistent information, training and leadership.

Disadvantages:

• There are still high capital costs for a fire hall, trucks, gear, hoses, etc.
• Increased costs would cover salaries, benefits, uniforms, vehicles, computers and backfills.
• Volunteer firefighter availability 24/7 puts pressure on the Chief, who has limited resources.

Option 5: Expanded Service Delivery Area

The needs assessment states this option is outside the study’s scope and hasn't been detailed. It would be practical if more fire departments were managed by the PRRD. With only two current fire departments, this option isn't viable right now. However, it could be considered in the future if the PRRD manages 1-2 more fire service providers in the Region. Like Option 3, this would have similar costs since creating new regional fire services involves similar expenses as establishing a Composite Staffed Fire Service.

Advantages:

• If the PRRD chose Options 2, 3 or 4, the tax impact on residents could be high due to the small service area and few affected properties. Expanding the protection area could spread the tax burden more fairly.
• Another option is to create a regional fire service for all properties within PRRD boundaries. This regionalization could allow the District to implement a Fire Service Property Tax, providing stable funding for a comprehensive Regional Fire Service, like a Regional Solid Waste Program.

Disadvantages:

• The main drawbacks are that it would require more time and effort to expand the fire protection area or create a full Regional Fire Service.

Fire Service Expansion Study Update:

May 29, 2025

On April 10, 2025, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) received an update on the 2024 fire expansion study conducted by FireWise Consulting for the communities of Bessborough, Farmington and Sunrise Valley in Electoral Area D.

FireWise Consulting Ltd., the PRRD’s contracted fire protection consultant, presented findings from their study that evaluated various fire protection costs. The study gathered data through resident surveys, public feedback, meetings and PRRD administration insights.

Key Challenges Identified:

• Recruiting and retaining volunteer personal, with a minimum need of 15 firefighters from an estimated pool of approximately 160 potential candidates
• Ensuring effectiveness and sustainability of services
• Meeting training requirements
• Balancing responsibilities

Fire Protection Options Explored:

• Maintaining current situation: This option incurs no costs or liability but offers no emergency response for non-forestry fires or rescues, leaving community risk unchanged.
• Creating composite staffed fire service: This is the preferred option, offering lower personnel costs and consistent administration. However, it requires significant capital investment, increased operational costs and may put pressure on the attendant fire department due to limited volunteer availability.
• Expanding service delivery area (regional model): This approach improves resource allocation and operational efficiency, provides cost savings and standardizes training.

Findings:

Community input strongly supports fire services; 82 percent of residents consider fire services important or essential. Residents want preparedness for various fire types, full-service fire departments, rescue services and fire prevention programs.

Recommendations

FireWise recommends expanding the service delivery area, maintaining a specific fleet of apparatus (pumper-tanker, water tender, wildland unit and utility pickup), and carefully siting and designing a firehall with essential facilities.

Financial considerations

Key financial considerations include ongoing capital replacement, annual testing and certification and volunteer firefighter wages. A sustainable fire service depends on addressing volunteer recruitment and retention challenges.

Next Steps:

PRRD staff are currently reviewing this information and will present a report with recommendations to the Regional Board in June 2025. The Regional Board will then provide direction on the next steps.

The PRRD thanks residents of Bessborough, Farmington and Sunrise Valley for their valuable feedback during the consultation period.

Updates on this project will be posted on the project page, haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/bfses and the PRRD’s website at prrd.bc.ca.

Feedback Completed

October 18, 2024

We want to say a big thank you to everyone in the Bessborough, Farmington and Sunrise Valley communities who shared their thoughts and feedback during the Fire Expansion Study. Your input has been crucial in shaping our understanding and approach.

In September, we were happy to meet over 20 residents at each town hall meeting and to receive more than 90 survey responses. Our team, along with our FireWise consultants, is working on a presentation that will sum up all the information we've gathered. This presentation will be shown to the Regional Board in early 2025 to help decide the next steps.

Thank you once again for your active participation. Please subscribe for updates on this project page and make sure to follow the Peace River Regional District on Facebook @OfficialPRRD where updates will be posted.

From July 26 to September 26, 2024, we engaged residents of Bessborough, Farmington and Sunrise Valley about expanded fire protection services in their communities.

An online and paper survey was available for residents and businesses, ensuring anonymity to shape the final report and understand community needs.

Residents were invited to in-person town hall meetings in September to discuss goals and proposed service areas, with about 20 attendees per session. Hard copy surveys were also completed at these events.

We also launched this project page on the Have Your Say platform for residents to track progress and ask questions.