New fireboat gives North Westside residents peace of mind

The capabilities of a local fire department to put out fires in a string of small communities on Okanagan Lake is about to get a big boost. 

The North Westside Fire Rescue Service now has its own fireboat.

The boat is about ten meters long, weighs nearly five tons and has a top speed of 40 knots.

It serves like a giant, floating fire hydrant reaching water flows of more than 2000 gallons a minute.

The fireboat cost $240,000 but Fire Chief Wayne Carson says it comes with the promise of improved peace of mind for many area residents.

“There’s a large percentage of the community that sees an immediate increase in fire protection,” said Carson.

There are about 500 homes in the Killiney Beach area that don’t have fire hydrant service.

The new fireboat will help change that.

A huge pump enables crews to run a hose from the boat up the hillside to where most homes are located and where in many areas, water supply is an issue.

Carson says the goal is to get the new boat certified by the fire underwriter’s organization, which is the company that rates fire departments and water systems.

This would possibly allow the owners of the 500 homes that currently don’t have fire hydrant service to get a reduction in their insurance costs.

Carson says the fireboat also has a rooftop water cannon which is good for fighting fires on other boats or right along the foreshore.

The fire chief adds if a wildfire should block Westside Road, which is the only vehicle access to the community, the fireboat could be used to help evacuate residents from the area.