About the Society

A group of 34 community minded West Creston residents got together to form the West Creston Fire Protection Society, which became an incorporated non-profit charitable organization in September 2004. Click here to see who are the current Slate of Officers for the Society.

The purpose of the Society is to provide trained firefighters to respond to a wildfire call, extinguish the fire or hold the fire until additional response teams arrive on site. The Society is not approved nor qualified to fight house fires; the goal is to prevent the spread of such fires to neighbour homes.

The Society does not receive any funding from taxation and all operating expenses are raised from yearly memberships, donations and fundraisers. As a charity the Society is able to issue tax receipts for memberships and any donations.

All fire fighters are volunteers, who not only give their time but have also donated the costs for their S-100 Basic fire suppression training. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated people in our community.

A large portion of the manual fire fighting equipment was purchased with the $5,927 donation from The West Creston Community Hall Society.

Jerry Pirie purchased a 1975 International fire truck, which the Society uses as a water tanker and to transport the fire fighting equipment. The Society pays for the truck’s yearly expenses of certification, licensing and insurance, which are roughly $1100.

The 24-hour community fire phone and call-out system 402-9779 has been a great help, as it gathers accurate directions from the reporting caller and quickly contacts the volunteers. This service costs approximately $1200 a year.

Fundraising money pays for all the operating expenses which includes repairs and maintenance to the equipment and truck, fuel expenses, banking fees, Society registration and community newsletters. Fundraisers have included garage sales, silent auction, dance, 50/50 draws, wood sales, dunk tank at Corn Crickers’ Picnic and bottle collecting. Bottle donations can be put on Society’s account at the Bottle Depot and hand in a receipt to the Society for a tax donation slip.

The Society has received funds thru the B.C. Gaming Commission’s Direct Access Grant, and have built a shelter next to the Community Hall. The building is fairly central to the whole community, allowing the volunteers a quicker response time and protect the fire equipment from the elements.

Thank you to the Province of BC, Columbia Basin Trust and Regional District of Central Kootenay for their ongoing financial support.