Residents and drivers in the Elk Valley will likely see some increased firefighter activity on Thursday evening, June 13, but it should not be a cause for concern.
Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) officials said the Elk Valley and South Country Fire Departments will undertake their water shuttling exercise.
“This exercise tests our ability to shuttle water with our water tenders and gives our team an excellent opportunity to work together to practice this unique aspect of rural firefighting,” said Elk Valley and South Country Rural Fire & Rescue Service Deputy Chief, Ben Goertzen.
“Living in the rural areas we do, we don’t always have the ability to hook up to a fire hydrant and the process to fill our tenders with water from an alternate source has several complicated, moving parts.”
The training exercise will happen on Thursday between Caithness and the Elko Airport.
“This exercise is an excellent opportunity for us to work together to ensure we are as effective and efficient as possible,” said Goertzen.
You will likely see fire trucks, apparatus and flashing lights in the area throughout the evening.
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