The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) announced the official opening of the Merville fire hall, July 7 - a day five years in the making.
“This facility centrally located in Merville will provide improved life-safety for residents, possible reduction in fire premiums for some residents and ability to deliver a medical first responder program,” said Electoral Area C Director Edwin Grieve. “We all rely heavily on first responders to be there when we need it most and appreciate all the hard work they do within our community.”
This new facility being managed by Oyster River Fire Rescue will offer approximately 2,800 residents and is designed to post disaster construction requirements ensuring effective fire protection for many years to come.
“Thank you to Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society for providing us the space for the facility,” states Electoral Area B Director Arzeena Hamir. “Seeing this project from conception to completion is an exciting accomplishment. I also want to thank Oyster River Fire Rescue for their continued support and 25 dedicated volunteers serving our communities.”
Next steps
With the fire hall now “In-Service”, the fire chief has provided the Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) with the information required for the fire hall to be recognized by insurance carriers which may lead to reduced insurance premiums. With this recognition, FUS will include the fire hall in their Grading Index for the insurance carriers to consider.
To see if your residence is eligible for reduced insurance premiums, please discuss with your insurance provider.
Volunteer recruitment
The Merville Fire Protection service currently has 25 dedicated volunteers that are trained and ready to serve their community but more volunteers are needed. Volunteer recruitment is ongoing and having a full complement of volunteer fire fighters is essential for the hall to operate. Please consider becoming a volunteer firefighter.
For more information on becoming a volunteer firefighter, please contact oysterriverfire.ca
To learn more about the new Merville fire hall, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/mervillefire.