Predator Ridge Community Safety
Raising Our Community Awareness through Prevention/Mitigation and Preparedness
The City of Vernon is currently accepting Auxiliary Firefighter applications for multiple positions for Fire Station 3 at Predator Ridge.
If you ever wanted to be a part of this exciting opportunity within your own community now is your chance. Download the Auxillary Firefighter document below, which explains the qualifications and process to apply.
With the hot and dry summer season approaching fast, residents of the Osprey Green Townhomes, organized their residents to cleanup a section of the common lands on their strata development.
It was a great turnout, and a significant section of the property was cleared of ground fuel. Additionally, some tree laddering was also completed.
Thanks to the efforts of a hearty group of community volunteers, another section of the Commonage forest, above Upper Diamond Way and adjacent to the District Development underwent a massive FireSmart Cleanup. Trees were laddered up approximately 2 meters off the ground and forest ground fuels were collected. Volunteers managed to fill to the brim, two 20-cu.yd. refuse bins with combustible debris from the forest floor.
Howie Anderson
Lorena Clowes
Rick Ellis
Nick Leighton
John Lemieux
Roxy McCrone
Robert Scott
Vince Timm
Claudio Verconich
Gord Ball
Stewart Clowes
Lorin Ellis
Kirsten Leighton
Nathalie Lindal
Linda Padgett
Greg Smith
Jane Toppozini
Emily Volans
Lynn Brown
Eamonn Deegan
Frank Jorgensen
Elizabeth Lemieux
Laura Mackenzie
Jim Pitura
Mandy Sutherland
Breanne Tripp
Brenda Watson
We would also like to thank Wes Brassard, the City of Vernon’s FireSmart Coordinator, and his assistant, Andrew, for attending the event. They provided excellent information about the FireSmart program and conducted homeowner FireSmart assessments in the Falcon Point neighbourhoods, afterwards.
Another big shout out goes to Breanne Tripp for organizing the Predator kitchen staff to cook our hot dogs and hamburgers following the mishap with the BBQ equipment. That worked out just great and we all enjoyed a good lunch despite that!
Also, we would like to recognize Golf Operations Manager, Damian Sayers for securing a tent for us to use. Even though (thankfully) we didn’t need to use it, we appreciated the effort from him on that front.
On the horizon, your FireSmart team is in the planning stages for a fall cleanup event, likely in October, once the golf course is closed for the season. Stay tuned for more information on that.
Thank you again to everyone that turned out to help on this one. By taking these proactive measures to reduce the risk of wildfire, we can protect our homes and community and increase our resilience to wildfire.
Dear Neighbours,
Are you looking to learn more about FireSmart and what you can do to protect your home and community?
Join us at our upcoming clean-up event and learn what you can do to FireSmart your property. You can also visit the PRCEMC website at: PRCEMC.ca/FireSmart for more information and FireSmart resources.
CLEAN-UP EVENT: Commonage Neighbourhood
DATE: SATURDAY, May 18, 2024
The FireSmart Committee is excited to announce that the Commonage neighbourhood will be the site of our next FireSmart clean-up event. The area to be cleaned is the common property and park area directly below the Dog Park.
The committee is currently looking for volunteers to assist with the clean-up and welcome all helping hands. Our collective efforts will help make our community a safer place to live.
Water and snacks will be provided, as well as safety glasses, hi-vis vests and gloves, should you require them. Volunteers should be prepared for sloping and uneven ground and appropriate footwear should be worn.
A safety orientation will be held at the dog park entrance at 8:30am prior to the clean-up event getting underway. We hope to see you there for a fun morning of FireSmart!
The PRCS FireSmart Coordinator will be on hand to answer questions and will be providing a Hot Dog BBQ starting at 12:30 pm for all our hungry volunteers.
EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Saturday, May 18, 2024
TIME: 9:00am – 1:00pm
LOCATION: Meet beside the entrance to the District on Diamond Way
*** IMPORTANT: ADVANCED SIGN UP IS REQUIRED! ***
Please sign up by clicking this link
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Thank you in advance for donating your time and helping to make our community a better and safer place to live.
Sincerely,
Your Predator Ridge Community Safety (PRCS) Committee – FireSmart Team.
The Province of British Columbia conducts a test of the emergency alert system twice a year. The last test of the Alert Ready system occurred on May 8, 2024 at 1:55 pm PST. The next test will occur on November 20, 2024 at 1:55 pm PST.
The PRCS & City of Vernon will conduct a full 3-minute test of the Wildfire Evacuation Siren at 1:55pm on this date in tandem with the Province of BC’s Alert Ready System.
BC is currently in the midst of the worst wildfire season in history. The ongoing presence of wildfire throughout the province, as well as the growing threat throughout the Central Okanagan, reminds us that we need to act now to prevent devastating losses to our own community. There are many steps that you can take around your own homes to help protect them in the event of a wildfire. This includes removing any coniferous vegetation that is in close proximity to your home, keeping your roof and gutters clean, and bringing in all patio furniture and cushions in the event of an evacuation alert.
Following evacuation orders and alerts and getting ready before a wildfire disaster strikes can make a world of a difference. While facing devastating losses in nearby communities it is important to remain proactive in our own. We have attached more resources that you may find helpful at this time. The best thing to do now is prepare. Prepare yourself and your family, your pets, and your property for the possibility of wildfire in our own community. Preparing a grab-and-go bag and knowing your evacuation routes are just a few ways to make sure you’re ready.
Dear Neighbour,
We wanted to provide you with a community update relating to the current wildfire situation in the Okanagan.
There has been no change in risk levels at Predator Ridge. Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) continues to be positioned at Fire Station #3 at Predator Ridge, as a command post with Deputy Chief and crew. The team continues to proactively monitor our community through 30-minute patrols and Fire Station #3 will be staffed 24-hours/day until the threat levels drop.
As per the latest emergency release from the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, a stage 4 water restriction has been put in place throughout the region. We are not under a restriction at Predator Ridge, however, we strongly encourage you to reduce your water consumption. This will ensure that if required, we can conserve the water in our reservoir for fire fighting purposes. See below for a link to the CORD emergency news conference for full details.
CITY OF VERNON RESOURCES
It is important to keep yourself updated with the latest information from official sources. If you haven’t already, please register to receive alerts from COV directly through:
CENTRAL OKANAGAN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
The current wildfires in the Okanagan are all located in the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. For up-to-date information please visit CordEmergency.ca. You can also follow them on Twitter (@CO_Emerg).
For more details on the fire situation, we encourage you to watch the official Emergency News conference released at 11am this morning. This can be viewed at the link below or via their YouTube channel (@regionaldistrict).
GOVERNMENT OF BC
Earlier this afternoon, the Government of BC released their BC Wildfire Update. This can be viewed on the link below or via their YouTube channel (@GovernmentofBC)
We have received a lot of questions regarding what do to in the case of an Evacuation Alert or Order.
As per the Government of BC, if an Evacuation Alert is in place, be ready to leave on short notice and take the following steps:
NOW MORE THAN EVER, we are grateful to have our local evacuation siren installed and a tool readily available for our community. As a reminder, in the event that we are placed on an Evacuation Order, we will be notified:
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SIREN?Due to some innovative cost savings, and further in-kind contributions by Predator Ridge, we are now only $6,000 short of our needed funding for the siren.
If you have not had an opportunity to contribute, we still need all members of our community to do their part and CONTRIBUTE to this invaluable community resource.
We are currently being challenged with staffing levels due to evacuations in Kelowna and Lake Country, where a significant amount of our team resides. We have had to make the decision to limit our onsite amenities as follows:
Our focus is to ensure the safety of our community we will provide you with further updates when we receive them. We encourage you to stay connected with official sources, as provided above.
Sincerely,
The Predator Ridge Management Team
AND
Your Predator Ridge Community Safety (PRCS) Committee
Gordon Wilson
Jane Toppozini
Karen Grimsrud
Robert Scott
Gord Ball
Dear Homeowners,
Our 2021 wildfire season was an exhausting one on many fronts. We experienced unseasonable hot dry weather, a wave of unpredictable forest fires and smoke throughout our entire province. Thankfully, we had a bit of a reprieve this past summer, however forecasted trends in weather patterns show hotter and dryer summers ahead with an increased risk of wildfire.
In an ongoing attempt to keep all our residents safe, Predator Ridge Community Emergency Management Committee (PRCEMC) looked at additional avenues to enhance our community’s safety. We have been working with both Predator Ridge and Sparkling Hill, and we have all agreed that although the current technology of using cell phone and email alerts is effective, it may not be the total solution for our community should the City of Vernon ever need to get an emergency alert out to all the guests, visitors and Predator Ridge residents, especially in the middle of the night.
Additional information can be found on our website: https://prcemc.ca/alert-siren/
PRCEMC is proud to announce that we have been successful with our proposal to the City of Vernon regarding the acquisition, installation and management of the Predator Ridge Emergency Evacuation Siren (EES). Over the past year we have worked closely with Predator Ridge, Sparkling Hill, and the City of Vernon, and we have all agreed that, although the current technology of using cell phone and email alerts is effective, it may not be the total solution for our community should the City of Vernon ever need to get an evacuation alert out to all guests, visitors and Predator Ridge residents, especially in the middle of the night.
We have looked at other communities that have successfully utilized cell phone and email technology in tandem with an EES to notify their community of imminent danger. Using all these systems together provides far better coverage and peace of mind to all residents.
An updated cost estimate and call for additional bids was undertaken for the acquisition and installation of the EES and related equipment. The final cost of the acquisition and installation is still in line to what had been forecasted at the beginning of the project: $112,000. Based on approximate population estimates of each stakeholder group throughout the fire season (PR Community, PR Resort and Sparkling Hill) we have agreed upon the following fair and equitable contributions to the project.
| STAKEHOLDER | CONTRIBUTION |
|---|---|
| Predator Ridge Residents | 60,000.00 |
| Predator Ridge Resort (Wesbuild) | 30,000.00 |
| Sparkling Hill Resort | 22,000.00 |
| TOTAL PROJECT COST | $112,000.00 |
With approximately 750 households in the community, if each household contributes an amount between $75.00 and $100.00, we could easily reach our target goal of $60,000.
We recognize that not everyone’s financial situation is the same, so we ask that you please support as best you can, and if your circumstances allow for additional funds, we would welcome the support. At the end of the day we are all building a better, safer community together.
The EES is scheduled to be installed in April/May for the start of the 2023 Fire Season.
There will be information and educational sessions held this spring to ensure everyone understands the process and procedures should we find our community in an emergency evacuation situation where the EES would need to be activated.
If you have any questions please email us at: questions@prcemc.ca or visit the Siren Information page.
Thank you in advance for supporting Predator Ridge Community Emergency Management and our Community Safety Program.
It takes all of us, working together, to build a stronger, safer community….
Your PRCEMC Team
Gord Wilson; Jane Toppozini; Karen Grimsrud; Robert Scott
Emergencies can happen anytime and Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) is taking steps to ready itself for the height of wildfire season and reminding citizens and visitors about the important things we can all do to keep each other safe.
Already this year, fire departments across the North Okanagan have responded to multiple grass and wildland fires and the fire danger rating has fluctuated between low and high at various times.
“The risk of wildfire can change quickly, particularly when we are experiencing heat like we’ve seen this week,” said Fire Chief David Lind. “We need to practice fire safety all the time, and when high heat and sunshine are drying out the region, we need to pay even closer attention to our activities.
“If people are spending time in the mountains, around lakes, in camping areas, or on trails, it’s paramount that everyone does their part to prevent human-caused wildfires to protect themselves, our communities, and our emergency responders.”
Throughout the summer season, VFRS will adjust its operations, as necessary, to have firefighters stationed at Fire Station 3 during higher risk periods.
“Residents in the Predator Ridge area may notice career and auxiliary firefighters working and training out of Station 3 at various times when the fire danger rating is listed as extreme, particularly during the hottest part of the day when fire behaviour can be more aggressive,” said Chief Lind.
The City of Vernon would like to thank the public for helping to prevent wildfires. To report an emergency or wildfire in the City of Vernon call 911. To report a wildfire, call the BC Wildfire Service at 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions and more, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
A section of the common property that borders the Osprey Coach & Carriage duplex homes on Longspoon Drive was targeted for a FireSmart Cleanup on Saturday June 11th.
A group of over 30 volunteers attacked this very steep and hard to access property, laddering trees and cleaning up debris and dead wood. The debris was hauled to the bottom of the slope adjacent the golf course fairway at hole #7 of the Predator course.
As well, an old barbed wire fence was dismantled and the wire was rolled up and disposed of, making the are safer for wildlife and hikers.
A future FireSmart Event will be held in this area in the fall, once the golf season has ended when we will load the debris into disposal bins and remove to the Vernon Landfill.
