TNRD – Monte Creek residents get fire service while new hall is built

Monte Creek residents now have fire protection.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District announced today (Jan. 9, 2023) that the new service came into effect Jan. 1 for 356 properties in Monte Creek, Del Oro, Lafarge and the east end of Barnhartvale.

Residents within the structural fire protection area approved the new service by referendum in the spring of 2022.

Fire protection service for the Monte Creek area is being temporarily provided via the Pritchard Fire Department. The Pritchard Fire Hall is further east compared to where the permanent Monte Creek Fire Hall will be located.

Now that structural fire protection is in place, residents within the Monte Creek Fire Protection Service Area can expect a full response, and amendments will be made accordingly once the Monte Creek Fire Hall is operational, the TNRD said in a news release.

Recruitment for the Monte Creek Fire Department began in the summer of 2022, and training began in October 2022 for a team of 17 new recruits. Training for the members to become certified exterior-level firefighters is expected to be complete in mid-2023.

“We have been impressed with the response by people in the Monte Creek area who have joined their local fire department,” said Jason Tomlin, TNRD manager of fire protection services.

Once training is complete, members of the Monte Creek Fire Department will respond to calls out of the Pritchard Fire Hall, alongside Pritchard Fire Department members, until construction of the Monte Creek Fire Hall is finished.

Design work for the new Monte Creek Fire Hall is currently underway. It will be at 1215 Hook Rd., in a central location of Monte Creek with convenient highway access.

The land was offered by late owner Ed Herman for the purpose of building a fire hall to serve the area, prior to his passing in 2021. Ed’s wife, Linda, has upheld the donation offer.

The TNRD administers nine rural fire departments.