
The City of Kamloops has plans and a new piece of equipment in its firefighting arsenal to deal with structure protection during wildfire season.
Municipal officials updated city council on the developments at a recent committee of the whole meeting.
Ty Helgason, City of Kamloops emergency preparedness manager, said Kamloops hosted more than 50 structural protection specialists this spring for a course on mitigation strategies and tactics designed to protect the city.
As a result, the municipality has been given plans to bolster firefighting efforts in the event of interface fires.
“This [training] led to additional defence plans, outlining resources and strategies that we would be prepared to employ should structures come under threat,” Helgason said.
Also this spring, Kamloops Fire Rescue purchased a specialized trailer that is designed to protect structures if they become threatened by wildfire.
The trailer has tools and devices specifically designed to deliver water in ways that focus on structure protection, including specialized sprinklers that enhance a home’s resiliency with water conservation in mind.