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OUR FIRE HALL & HISTORY
OUR BUILDING consists of three apparatus bays (existing trucks have to be made shorter to fit in the bays at increased costs) turnout gear is on the side and back walls, a small area for a work bench & mechanical equipment is on the opposite wall. A small training room which fills to capacity on training night, a small kitchenette. There is an office for the Chief, however due to lack of space, two more personnel share the office including storage of equipment, a radio room, storage closet and washroom . On the lower floor to the back of the building there is a combined fire training & community meeting room, a kitchen and washrooms with a shower.
We have now outgrown our fire hall and space is extremely limited. The building does not meet seismic standards required for today's emergency response buildings.
We are due to order a front line engine, and do not have the ability to store it in the existing fire hall. Furthermore, our First Response Vehicle has been stored (temporarily) outside for over six years. Our Support Unit is also stored outside. Both are at risk to vandalism and theft.
On April 27, 2013, a referendum was held and passed, resulting in a YES vote from the community for a new fire hall. The East Sooke Fire Protection and Emergency Response Service Commission has begun the process for the final plans. We anticipate a new fire hall to be built within the coming year.
Fire Chief John Kelly (1985 - 1991)
Chief Pat Perry (1991-1994)
Fire Chief Rick Moffett (1994 - 2007)
Fire Chief Gord Holliston (2007 - 2009)
Fire Chief Roger Beck ( 2009 - present)
EAST SOOKE
FIRE CHIEFS
“The Sooke Mirror - February 26, 1986”
Hall is “open for business”
The East Sooke Community Fire Hall which has been built at a total cost of $250,000 is now “open for business” with special rental rates being offered to groups to encourage use of the facility.
The information is contained in a news release issued by the district’s trustees.
The release said that of the total cost of the facility, the fire hall itself cost $212,627 and the community hall section $37,522. The community donated $49,720 in volunteer labor and materials and $20,852 in cash for a total of $70,572.
The fire hall sits on land donated to the community by the First National Mortgage Co., Ltd., however before accepting title, the fire district trustees asked that the lot be divided in two - with one lot to be used for the fire hall and the other lot to be used as a community park.
“The prohibitive cost of liability insurance, coupled with the fact that our letters patent do not include parks, made it necessary for the improvement district to divert itself of the portion of the land” the release continued.
The building will be officially opened on completion of a plaque listing the names of all donors.
OUR HISTORY
Our fire hall was built in l985, under the joint sponsorship of the East Sooke Ratepayers Association and the East Sooke Firefighters Society. This Project was made possbile by a gift of land from First Nation Mortgage Company and grants from Canada Works, British Columbia Lottery, the Capital Regional District and First National Mortgage Company. The East Sooke community gratefully acknowledges these gifts and also the many donations of labour, money and materials from the people and organizations named on the donor panels to the right.
Chief Roger Beck
OUR 1985 GRAND OPENING
