Creston Valley emergency services to centralize

by Keith Powell — August 16, 2011

Construction proceeds on a new building for Creston Valley emergency services groups, supported by Columbia Basin Trust.

Creston Valley emergency services groups will soon have a centralized place to call home as Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) is providing $100,000 toward the construction of an emergency services building, to be located at the Creston Valley Regional Airport.

"The emergency services building will be a great asset to the community, centralizing services while providing a training facility for volunteers," said Neil Muth, CBT president and CEO. "It will be beneficial to have one building for all four groups, as they all have similar needs."

Partners on the $375,000-project include the Creston Valley Regional Airport Society (CVRAS), Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Emergency Services and Ground Search and Rescue. The Town of Creston is also supporting this project by letting the building be constructed on land owned by the
Town.

In addition to providing office space and serving as a training centre, the building will allow for the storage of emergency and safety equipment—an important feature as equipment is currently located in various locations around the Creston Valley. It will also provide a fixed base of operation during emergencies, as currently there is no command centre for support personnel to gather.

"Not only will the new building enhance and streamline emergency services, but it will encourage all groups to work more effectively with better communication," said Mary Aungus, secretary/treasurer, CVRAS. "We also anticipate that we will be able to attract more volunteers, which will enable us to respond more effectively to emergencies."

"This is an incredible opportunity to co-ordinate emergency services under one roof. The co-ordination and oversight of this project through the Creston Valley Regional Airport Society will ensure its long-term sustainability," said John Kettle, board chair, RDCK. "This could not have happened without the support of Columbia Basin Trust and our volunteers. We thank CBT for giving us a helping hand to make our communities better.”