Buckland Fire and Rescue is funded by membership fees and operates as a not for profit cooperative. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Public Safety

Area fire department highlighting benefits of membership

Jun 9, 2020 | 12:08 PM

Buckland Fire and Rescue is looking to educate residents in the rural municipality about the importance of buying a membership.

The volunteer fire department is a not-for-profit cooperative which is overseen by a board of directors and funded by membership fees.

Keray Wenzel, chair of the organization’s board, said most people who live in the RM are members of the cooperative. However, he added some people who move into the area don’t always know about the need to purchase coverage.

“Whether they move from somewhere else and they’re not aware and they move into the RM … they just take for granted, especially if they’re from a city,” he said.

Not being a member of the cooperative could prove costly if they ever need fire service. Each of the department’s firefighters’ costs $45.00 per hour while each of their trucks costs $800.00 per hour.

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Wenzel explained some people make the decision to buy firefighting insurance from a different company. He said in some cases the coverage provided by these plans doesn’t cover the full costs of dealing with a fire leaving residents on the hook for the rest.

Overall Wenzel said they are hoping to educate people about the benefits of having a membership by launching an information campaign and informing people about how the service operates.

“There is a fire department out here, there is a cost for them to come out to your property, it’s just like buying insurance,” he said.

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn