Kamloops Fire and Rescue is asking residents and business owners for feedback as it continues to work on a 10-year master plan.

Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc says the department is working on a thorough Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover initiative, with the goal of creating a strategic roadmap for the future of emergency response in the City of Kamloops.

“We’re developing a community risk assessment based historically on our responses and the types of risks we have here, and how we deploy to them,” Uzeloc told Radio NL. “Our service level or standard of cover is something that has been in place here, but it hasn’t been approved by council. I think it’s important that council approves the service levels, because then those are the service levels that they commit to resourcing.”

Uzeloc says KFR hopes to use the time and data gathered to evaluate its historical emergency response performance, while also looking for things in the current framework that were successful and areas that need improvements.

“It is not just about putting the fires out, its about fire inspections and our public education programs, and make sure that we’re addressing what the community is expecting of us and what the community wants from us, so that we can incorporate that into the overall recommendation of the 10 year master plan going before council later this year,” Uzeloc said.

Kamloopsians can have their say until the end of this month, with Uzeloc expecting to bring forward his recommendations to City Council later this year.

“There are industry standards, they are best practices but each community is different,” Uzeloc said.

“All this work is prepping us to be able to take this proposal to council and say ‘here is what it looks like at this level of service. Here is what it looks like at this one and this one.’ And I’ll make a recommendation on what I think is appropriate, acceptable, and affordable for Kamloops.”

And he says Kamloops Fire Rescue will engage with local businesses and residents at various stages of the project.

“We are committed to continuously improving our emergency response capabilities and ensuring the safety of everyone in our community,” Uzeloc said. “The insights gathered through this initiative will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our department and enhancing our ability to serve the needs of Kamloops residents.”

People can provide their feedback in a number of different ways:

• Online survey – Both a business and resident survey are available for input until midnight on March 31. A paper copy is available at City Hall or Fire Station 1.
• Share an idea – Share a thoughtful contribution to two key questions on the website.
• Take a quick poll – Quickly cast a vote to single multiple-choice questions on the website.

For more information about Kamloops Fire Rescue and the Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover initiative, go here.