Please see the following letter from Fire Chief Watkinson:
Date: April 11, 2019
To: West Bench Residents, Penticton BC.
RE: 2019 Wildland Urban Interface Training (May 3-5, 2019)
The Penticton Fire Department will be undertaking a Wildland Urban Interface training Symposium to help improve the response to wildfires in our region.
This training will include BC Wildfire Service and local municipal fire service staff and industry experts. Smoke, fire service personnel, fire apparatus and aircraft in the West Bench area neighbourhood, will be active and visible.
Please be assured that the work is being done by knowledgeable experienced professionals, with everyone’s safety as the top priority and will not affect your property directly.
In order for our Symposium to conduct this type of training, we required a wildland interface community like yours to operate. We are seeking approval from you to conduct training in and around your home and property. This training will focus on your home being evaluated by Firefighters, and simulation on how we may protect your homes from Wildfire.
Linked is a permission form we will require from you in order to conduct this training. If you support this initiative, please sign and return to the Penticton Fire Dept. via email to larry.watkinson@penticton.ca or drop off at Fire Station 201 at 250 Nanaimo Ave West.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the area of training, feel free to contact
Larry Watkinson, Penticton Fire Chief at larry.watkinson@penticton.ca or 250-490-2309.
I’d like to thank you for your support in advance.