New Fire Chief
The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is pleased to welcome new Coombs-Hilliers Fire Chief Enzo Calla who filled the position following the retirement of Ron Schildroth. Fire Chief Calla brings over 30 years of experience in fire services and emergency management, as well as numerous certifications and accreditations. His background in planning, operations, public education, policies and fire codes in British Columbia will serve the department and community well.
New Fire Engine
A new fire engine for the Coombs-Hilliers Volunteer Fire Department (CHVFD) will be in service in late January. The Fort Garry 2025 fire engine is a single-drive axle frontline fire truck that replaces the 2004 fire engine which is at the end of its lifecycle. The approximate cost of $1.24 million is funded by $146,000 from reserves, $689,423 from short-term borrowing and $404,373 from Community Works Funds (grant funds from the Government of British Columbia). The fire truck is custom-built to meet the unique challenges of rural firefighting in the community. The truck provides the firefighters with a purpose-designed layout, enabling them to better respond to a variety of emergency and non-emergency incidents in the community.
