It’s a pretty low thing to do.
This is how Columbia Shuswap Regional District Fire Services Coordinator Sean Coubrough described the recent theft of equipment from the White Lake Fire Department.
During their Tuesday night practice at the fire hall on June 14, White Lake firefighters found two of their sheds had been broken into and two pieces of equipment taken: a gas-operated positive pressure ventilation fan and a floating strainer used to draw water from shallow bodies of water.
“The fan provides fresh air into burning buildings and forces smoke, hot air and gasses out…,” said Coubrough. “The siphon strainer allows us to… replenish our trucks, allowing us to fight the fires.”
Coubrough said the theft may impact the White Lake Fire Department’s response in the short term.
Read more: White Lake firefighters earn Fire Department of the Year honours
Read more: White Lake firefighters go beyond call of duty with construction project
“Both of these pieces of equipment are certainly vital to the fire department operations and I’m not entirely sure what they were thinking when they decided to break in there and take them…,” said Coubrough. “Any items that are made specifically for fire departments have added costs associated with them. It will take time as well to replace the items that were stolen, and it could impact the fire department’s response in the near term.”
Coubrough noted the B.C. government brought in stiff penalties for theft of firefighting equipment, especially during wildfire season.
“The reason for that being is it’s vitally important we have this equipment – people’s lives and property are at risk when this equipment goes missing,” said Coubrough.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment at 250-832-6044.
lachlan@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Sign up for our newsletter to get Salmon Arm stories in your inbox every morning.
