With 2025 coming to a close, it seems like a good time to get an update from the Cortes Island Fire Department. Currently, there are about 38 people working out of the island’s two fire halls, with another 20 enrolled in the wildfire brigade. 

Chief Eli McKenty noted, “I haven’t totalled this year’s call volume yet, but last year we had 105 calls. This year, we’re likely slightly higher at around 110.” 

“We had one significant structure fire, which was fortunately not a total loss. Two factors likely contributed to that. It was a reasonably modern building that was tightly closed.  If you have a tightly sealed building and the doors, windows are closed and you have multi pane windows that don’t break from the heat, you can actually have a fire that fully starves of oxygen and goes out. A landscaper working next door noticed the smoke and got a garden hose on it. We were able to mop up the rest.”  

“We had one minor fire onboard a boat and a few hydro lines sparked minor brush fires, but nothing significant on that front this year.”

In response to a question about the nature of the call-outs, McKenty explained, “They make up the bulk of our call volume. Of our 105 calls last year, 64 were medical first responders, which is similar to what most first responder departments in the province. We had a reasonably high number of motor vehicle incidents this year.”

“We received numerous burning complaints and duty investigations in the summer. It’s fairly common for someone to smell smoke for one reason or another, leading to calls for investigation. We even received a call for a suspected lightning strike.”

When asked about the extensive training and upgrades the Fire Department has been undergoing, McKenty shared that near the beginning of Mac Diver’s term as chief, the province recognized that the existing fire service training model was very challenging for small rural departments to achieve. They established a system with three declared service levels. “Most small rural departments provide exterior operations fire service. We’re not currently allowed to enter a burning building like they would in larger cities such as Vancouver.” 

“The next level is interior certification, which is what Quadra Island currently has. It’s half way to full service. They’re allowed to enter simple structures and commercial buildings with a pre-plan in place, but not into high rises.” 

Then there is full service. Campbell River is fully staffed with members present at all times, and an additional volunteer crew that steps in as needed.

The Cortes Island Fire Department has traditionally been an exterior operations department. However, in the last two years they have been discussing moving toward interior certification. 

“There’s not a huge advantage to us going interior on Cortes because response times are longer than they are in the city since we’re only two halls and we have a lot of drive time. So there are not too many situations where an interior attack would make the difference in saving a structure, although there have been cases where it would. What really keeps me up at night is we are not currently allowed to go into a building to rescue somebody if the building’s on fire. That would be a really nice piece to be certified for.”

This transition requires extensive training, and they plan to train to the full service level. Once achieved, they will likely declare to the interior level since they do not have the type of complex structures that would necessitate full service.

The full service requirements regarding equipment and ongoing training are significantly higher than those for the interior level. Currently, they have embarked on training that aligns with NFPA 1001, an international standard for firefighter training. Once completed, their members will be qualified to work in cities or wherever they choose. The full 1001 program includes comprehensive material that members are expected to know, totalling around 1,500 pages.

Financially, moving to the 1001 program presents challenges since textbooks cost a couple of hundred dollars each, and testing fees are approximately $1,500 per person. They are fortunate to have grant money available to cover these training costs, which are not feasible within their current tax budget. 

McKenty noted, “We have about 15 people enrolled in the 1001 program right now. It’s optional, and not everyone is required to participate at this point because it is a significant commitment. As we progress, we will likely make it a requirement for new members, but for now, we are focusing on those who have the time and interest.”

He expressed optimism that the majority of their crew will complete the training in the next couple of years, with the first group likely finishing most of the program this coming year. While there may not be a significant advantage to transitioning to interior operations on Cortes due to longer response times, he emphasized that being certified to enter buildings for rescues during fires would be a valuable capability.

“ We’re also midway through another medical first responder training program. We have another seven members that are doing that, which I think will bring our first responder crew up to about 15 licensed medical responders, which is great.”

The department is also working toward achieving superior tanker shuttle service accreditation. Currently, they have three sets of tanks that meet the criteria for this accreditation. There are two in Whaletown, one in Manson’s, and there are two on the south end near  Suitil  Point and Chamadaska. The fire department also has to demonstrate that it can haul 200 imperial gallons of water a minute, on average, continuously over a minimum of a two hour period. 

“If we can achieve that, it improves our dwelling protection grade to be equivalent to hydrant protected for homes. We are anticipating that once we achieve this, it’ll be quite a significant decrease in fire insurance costs for homes that are within range of the large tanks (5 kilometres) and in range of the fire halls (8 kilometres). ”

“Another thing that was a big focus of ours this year is encouraging Cortes Islanders to engage with FireSmart. Through the FireSmart grants that the regional district secured on our behalf, we were able to have Alex Bernier as our FireSmart Crew member. He did quite a bit of on the ground work for people helping fire smart around their homes.”

“In the event of a major wildfire FireSmarting ahead of time is really the biggest thing that people can do to protect their homes. That’s been demonstrated over and over again now in all of the major wildfire catastrophes we hear about in other parts of the province and other parts of the world. The FireSmarted homes have a way higher chance of surviving a catastrophic wildfire.” 

“We’ll keep pushing hard on that next year. It’s the way we need to be moving on Cortes and in Canada in general. The forecasts are that we’re going to be experiencing more wildfires and more intense wildfires, pretty much across the board and that’s really the best tool we have to address that.”

Regarding general projects around the station, BC Ambulance has started renovations for the portion of the station they use. This project has been in progress for several years, and McKenty noted that two years ago they started planning in earnest. A few days they started putting in a modular unit behind the Cortes Island Museum.

The BC Ambulance team is also renting a tiny home from the Housing Society for extra crew quarters while the renovations are ongoing.

“Another fun development with the Housing Society is they offered us a long-term lease on an extra 50 feet across the back of our training yard, which gives us a bit more room for the helicopters. Which is really nice ’cause the big Canadian forces Cormorant Search and Rescue helicopter was really tight on the tree line there and they actually were not keen on landing at this site. We have plenty of room for them now.” 

“ We actually have two pads and last year was the first time I’ve seen them both occupied at once. Primarily pad one, the one to the right with the lights, is where the vast majority of all of our medical evacuation flights land. So when we have a high acuity patient with BC ambulance, especially if the ferry’s not running, if the weather permits and resources are available they’ll send a chopper to transport patients to whichever hospital is most suitable for that particular patient.”

“Some of the time they’ll fly to Campbell River and if it’s more serious and they need like a cath lab for a cardiac patient or it’s a major trauma, then some of the time they’ll end up going to Nanaimo or Victoria or even Vancouver General. It’s pretty neat that we’re able to transport directly to the major hospitals when necessary and when we have the air resource available. We get, I think around a dozen flights a year off the pad here.”

“We have a bit more clear space for wildfire protection around the hall, and it makes it a better refuge area for us. I was concerned with the loss of space along the north side of the property where the modular is going. This offsets that and gives us a bigger yard to work in, which is really handy for a lot of the larger scale drills we do.” 

“We’re grateful to them for offering it to us and we’ve been supporting their building project as well with the extension cord to keep their batteries topped up, sharing wifi with them and water for their office and so on. It’s a good community arrangement and we both benefit from it.

The fire department has also been fostering a sense of community among its members. 

“I’m a big believer in the value of encouraging the social aspects of the department because if people don’t want to be here, they’re not going to be and our department is the volunteers. So we are doing everything we can to make it interesting, rewarding and challenging.” 

“Pat Whalen, a retired fire fighter and former board member, donated a really nice pool table to the hall this fall. We’ve got it set up in the training room, and I actually built a frame around the base of it so we can pick it up and lift it and park it out of the way when we’re using it as a classroom and bring it out for something to encourage the members to hang out and engage with the department in more ways than just training and firefighting.” 

“We’ve hosted our third annual firefighters ball on December 5th. I think we probably had around 90 people attend, which is a healthy number for the hall. We invite the paramedics as well and some of the other fire department supporters on our board. It’s a fantastic event.”

As the holiday season approaches McKenty said, “I’d like to remind everyone to be careful on the roads during the Christmas season. It’s unfortunate how many motor vehicle incidents we respond to that involve alcohol. Please drive sober and arrange a safe ride home if needed. Call a friend and stay safe out there.”

Links of Interest:

• Cortes Island Fire & Rescue website
• Firefighting Course: NFPA 1001 Training – Provincial Fire & Safety
• Articles about, or mentioning, the Cortes Island Fire Department

All undesignated photos by Roy L Hales

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