Vernon Fire-Rescue Services (VFRS) is pleased to announce that the Predator Ridge Fire Station is operational after Pasechnik S J & Son Ltd. completed construction on the fire hall last week. Engine 3 was deployed to the new fire station on January 13 to mark the occasion.
“The new hall is a tremendous public safety asset for Predator Ridge and Vernon as a whole,” said VFRS Chief Keith Green. “We have a combined roster of 63 firefighters training together under one incident command structure and dispatched over three stations, and we will continue to utilize our resources to provide the most effective service we can.”
City of Vernon Council first approved the project in the 2011-2015 Financial Plan, and the construction was completed within the allocated budget. City of Vernon and VFRS staff worked closely with Predator Ridge to determine the site and the design of the building. Station 3 – Predator Ridge will be integrated into the current deployment model, and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) mapping is being updated to accommodate response protocols.
“It was exciting for us to see Engine 3 arrive onsite as it marked the official opening of the Predator Ridge Fire Hall,” said Brad Pelletier, Wesbild VP Okanagan. “We thank the City of Vernon, Keith Green and VFRS for their commitment to our community and welcome the fire hall as a key landmark within our community”.
“This community public safety project would not have been possible without the significant contributions and cooperation from Wesbild, Brad Pelletier and his team,” said Green. “VFRS couldn’t have asked for better partners to work with throughout this construction build. Pete Pasechnik and his construction team were also true professionals to work with.”
A public grand opening is planned for later this year.