Service Area
Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department services an area of over 100 square kilometres around the Sproat Lake and Great Central Lake areas. This is a challenging area to cover from a fire perspective, as there are only 10 fire hydrants connected to a stable water supply in the entire district. Through a combination of training and equipment, Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department has achieved "Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation", which means the insurance industry treats all residential structures in the Sproat Lake Fire Department's coverage area as if they were serviced by hydrants. This serves to cut the fire insurance rates for covered dwellings by almost half, saving homeowners hundreds to thousands of dollars a year in insurance premiums.
Fire Protection
With a total of 7 apparatus in three halls, the SLFD is capable of responding to fire incidents anywhere within it's fire protection boundaries, and is able to setup water supply in those areas to ensure fires do not spread to other structures, and that damage is minimized. While structure fires do not make up a large percentage of the yearly call volume, they are, without a doubt, the most dramatic incidents we cover.
First Responder
Most Sproat Lake Fire Department members are trained and certified as Medical First Responders, which is a provincial set of standards governing medial responses. FR allows for application of stabilizing treatment to trauma patients, and the provision of life saving oxygen. In addition, FR members receive AED/BLS (Basic Life Support) and Spinal Immobilization training. These latter skills are especially important in Motor Vehicle accidents. A First Responder's principal role is to ensure the comfort and well-being of a patient until paramedics arrive on scene. Medical calls represent the majority of calls received by the SLFD throughout the year.
Low-Angle Rope Rescue
Low-angle is defined as any slope of 45 degrees of incline or less. Sproat Lake Fire Department Members are trained in the use of rope, pulley and stretcher systems to access, package, and remove trauma patients from the bottom of slopes less than 45 degrees in incline.
Automatic Mutual Aid
Sproat Lake Fire Department is a signatory member of the Alberni Valley Automatic Mutual Aid agreement. This agreement combines the resources of Port Alberni, Beaver Creek, Cherry Creek, and Sproat Lake Fire Departments for certain large scale events. This agreement has been used many times to the benefit of the departments involved, and has resulted in an increased tempo of fire related calls, and a much different type of fire call than the mainly residential calls that are experienced in the Sproat Lake area.
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