The Gravenhurst Fire Department is looking to beef up and modernize its equipment.
During Gravenhurst’s Jan. 16 council meeting, Fire Chief Jared Cayley asked council for its backing as the fire department applies for Ontario’s new Community Preparedness grant. Fire Chief Jared Cayley says in his report to council, if successful, the fire department could get up to $50,000 to create a wildfire structure protection trailer.
The grant was launched by the province in Nov. 2023 for municipalities with a population under 100,000.
While the fire department has plenty of equipment to handle large forest fires, Cayley says it’s better to be overprepared. “One such way is the addition of a structure protection trailer,” he claims.
Cayley explains the trailer would allow them to set up exterior sprinkler protection for a handful of buildings in “areas where they may be threatened by wildfire.” He adds the trailer can be set up quickly and only a few firefighters are needed.
While Gravenhurst does have a municipal forest fire agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Cayley says they have seen “how quickly those resources can be depleted.”
During 2023’s wildfire season – which typically stretches from April 1 to Oct. 31 – Cayley says many parts of Canada surpassed records for hectares lost to wildfires. “Recent events have also shown that it is not just trees that burn, whole neighbourhoods have been lost to the ravages of wildfires,” he continues. “These conflagrations move fast and consume whatever lies ahead.”
“The natural beauty of Muskoka is what draws millions of visitors each year, and it is what creates the drive for so many of our seasonal residents to cottage here,” says Cayley. “However, as more and more people hike into the wilderness or construct homes and other structures where the interface occurs, the risks of a wildfire are greatly increased. Combine that with the mitigating factors of climate change, such as drier springs and increased temperatures, it is not a question of if a large wildfire is on the horizon, it is a question of when.”
Also, during the meeting, the fire department was also approved to purchase new protective clothing from Globe for $34,000 and new radio equipment from Point-to-Point Communications for $109,296.