Firefighters coming off busy year in Vernon

Published 3:24 pm Friday, January 23, 2026

The year 2025 was a busy one for Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS).

Going by the numbers, the year looked like this:

• Fire Rescue responded to nearly 4,900 calls for service, providing firefighting, first medical response, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, emergency management;

• Emergency Support Services team, including 75 volunteers, completed more than 400 hours of training over 23 sessions, and responded to 19 activations, including one complex activation which lasted 61 days and involved two provincial ministries and several non-government organizations;

• Fire Prevention and Life Safety completed 1,821 fire inspections, 260 new business licence inspections, and 35 fire investigations.

VFRS was successful in securing a number of grants to help the department purchase emergency operations centre equipment and training, provide emergency support services equipment and training, engage and capacity build with Indigenous peers, and do FireSmart work, purchase technical rope rescue equipment, and help with training.

The department worked with BC Wildfire in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season to complete a joint training exercise and fuel treatment of five hectares of city-owned grasslands along Apollo Road in Okanagan Landing.

A multi-agency airport emergency exercise was conducted at Vernon Regional Airport to help prepare fire rescue and emergency management employees for 2026.

The department also endorsed a new mutual aid agreement with the District of Lake Country, which brings the number of Okanagan fire services Vernon can draw resources from to 12.

Fire Chief David Lind will present his report to Vernon council Monday, Jan. 26.