The Cariboo Fire Centre will be laying out the welcome mat early next month.
To mark Wildfire Preparedness Day, they’ll be hosting an open house that Community Engagement Specialist and Information Officer Madison Dahl said the event will focus on educating community members about wildfire safety, preparedness, and response efforts.
“This is going to be the first one and hopefully the first of many, and it was championed by members of our crews. So they’ve been able to recognize the necessity and the need for community engagement and they really want to be able to allow community members to come in and see what we do and answer any questions.”
The Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a fundraising barbecue and the Cariboo Fire Centre’s Firesmart mascot, Ember, will be available for pictures with the kids.
“We’re going to have an air tanker that you can come and tour and we’ll be able to offer tours of different parts of the Fire Centre as well, the main hub where all of the data and information is collected, and hopefully people can see what that looks like on a closer level,” Dhal added.
The Cariboo Regional District and Emergency Management British Columbia will also be taking part and demonstrating the roles that they play in wildfire prevention.
“Our goal is to help educate the public on what it is that we do. I know it’s a lot and it’s really confusing, so we’re going to try to explain how the different sections of the Fire Centre all work together.” Dahl said, “This is going to contribute to the transparency of our work. It gives us an opportunity to build relationships with the Fire Departments and with the local community which is the really important part of wildfire preparedness.”
This open house will take place Saturday, May 6, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Cariboo Fire Centre on Airport Road and everyone is welcome.