Coquitlam, B.C., May 11, 2022 – Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra residents living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) can get a free FireSmart™ home assessment conducted by a local FireSmart Representative.

In 2021, the communities received a provincial FireSmart grant that helped create local jobs while improving wildfire preparedness and reducing property risk. 

In an effort to offer more home assessments and access to grant funds to complete mitigation work (based on eligibility outlined in the grant criteria), Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra fire departments were given approval by the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) Community Resiliency Investment committee to extend the program an additional six months with a new completion date and final reporting deadline of December 31, 2022.

Apply for Free Assessment Online 

Residents can use an online map at www.northeastsector.ca to determine if their home is in the WUI area and eligible for the assessment. Then they simply complete the online application form choosing an available date and time for an assessment – a FireSmart ambassador will reach out to applicants to arrange the appointment. Interested residents can also call 604-927-6334 or email firesmart@northeastsector.ca. Residents do not need to follow-through on recommendations from the assessment, but it is a valuable tool in order to understand any risks a homeowner may want to undertake. 

Important Dates

• September 1, 2022 – Last day for home assessment 
• September 30, 2022 – Last day for mitigation work to be completed for residents who want to apply for the grant
• Monday, October 31, 2022 – Last day for evaluation assessment of mitigation work in order to receive grant funding 

2021 Numbers

• The joint program continues to see positive engagement in the four jurisdictions, such that the targeted, direct outreach has surpassed the goal of 5,000 homes, with over 7,000 residents receiving direct-to-door information on wildfire preparedness. 
• 150 house assessments were completed with 34 more houses booked for assessments. 
• Five residents confirmed completing mitigation work.

Wildland Fire Prevention

Property owners play an important role in reducing the risk to their homes and neighbourhoods by taking steps such as removing potential fuel sources and choosing fire-resistant building materials. The program goal is to help homeowners to adopt practices that reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their homes and property. Info on fire prevention in a WUI can be found at each of the municipality’s website at:  

• www.coquitlam.ca/interfacefire
• www.portcoqutilam.ca/interfacefire 
• https://anmore.com/community/safety/wildfire-information/ 
• https://belcarra.ca/firesmart-blackwell-presentation/ 

A Collaborative Approach 

Administered through UBCM, FireSmart grants support job creation and economic recovery in B.C. communities while building wildfire resiliency through the program’s seven-pronged approach: education, vegetation management, legislation and planning, development considerations, interagency cooperation and cross-training emergency planning. 

The collaboration between the four municipalities will help ensure FireSmart principles are adopted consistently across this sub-region in a cost-effective way. The intent is to reach residents with at-risk properties in the four communities through education and outreach, to conduct risk assessments and to improve sub-regional response capabilities through training, community education, infrastructure upgrades and other means.   

The sharing of skills and resources will also lead to better long-term outcomes across these communities leaving them better able to reduce interface fire risks and more effectively provide a coordinated fire response.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Jim Ogloff
Fire Chief
City of Coquitlam
604-927-6400
firerescue@coquitlam.ca

Robert Kipps
Fire Chief
Port Coquitlam 
604-927-5463
kippsr@portcoquitlam.ca

Karen Elrick
Manager of Corporate Services
Village of Anmore
604-469-9877
karen.elrick@anmore.com 

Stewart Novak 
Public Works & Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Village of Belcarra
604-937-4100
snovak@belcarra.ca