Bear Lake VFD

10/15/2026

Last night, Firefighters began their training for auto extrication — a new skill, with new tools and equipment. Another first for the Bear Lake Fire Department!

Our initial training focused on a vehicle resting level on its wheels. Crews practiced using hydraulic tools to lift and stabilize the vehicle, simulating the rescue of a patient trapped underneath.

We then moved on to basic vehicle entry, removing the driver’s side doors to gain access to patients trapped inside.

As our members build their skills and experience, the training scenarios will become progressively more challenging and complex.

In time, auto extrication will become another service our Fire Department can provide to the community, including portions of the highway north and south of Bear Lake — helping us provide a faster local response when minutes matter.

Another huge step forward in expanding the capabilities of our department and the services we provide to our rural community.

10/11/2026

🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from Bear Lake Fire Department! 🍂🦃

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for the incredible community we’re proud to serve, and for the neighbours, families, businesses, and supporters who stand behind our department throughout the year.

We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good food, great company, and time spent with the people who matter most.

From all of us at Bear Lake Fire Department, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! 🚒🍁

Happy Thanksgiving, Bear Lake! ❤️

10/10/2026

Progress of the new training grounds! A HUGE thank you to YRB - Fort George for the time and equipment to mulch and spread material, and Okanagan Aggregates Ltd for the time and equipment to bring the millings from the highway repaving project. This will create a fantastic long lasting base for the grounds for years to come, and give a headstart on paving in the future.

Some photos showing before, and the current progress.

10/09/2026

Good morning! Many of you have noticed dump trucks bringing material to the firehall over the last few days. Our training ground construction has begun!

Today YRB - Fort George will be on-site with heavy equipment mulching, and leveling the freshly cleared area and will be making some noise for a few hours. We apologize for that and hope it isn't too disturbing for our closeby neighbours. This work should start around 09:30 - 10-00

When complete. Most likely in the spring, the Fire Department will have a 2-story training center, with space to practice structure fires, auto extrication and rope rescue locally!

09/15/2026

Another big thank you to our friends next door at BCEHS Station 503 for inviting us to join them in welcoming the Cops for Cancer Riders to Bear Lake for lunch. Another incredible spread of food and great Company. It was a pleasure to meet the riders and their team. Thank you for taking a stand against cancer and safe travels on the rest of your journey. BLVFD.

09/06/2026

A huge thank you to our friends at Bear Lake Station 503 for including us in their year end Employee appreciation BBQ. We had a great time, the food was amazing and the Company was even better. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful Ambulance crew in Bear Lake to work and train alongside. Shannon Marie Stacey and her crew have been so supportive of our department full of new recruits this past year and we appreciate you all, Thanks for having us ! Cheers to many more !

09/01/2026

2nd big update. One more to come!
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A big thank you to TC Energy and Coastal GasLink for their continued support of the Bear Lake Fire Department and our community.

Through their Community Investment program, TC Energy/Coastal GasLink provided $11,000 toward 2 new vehicle stabilization struts, and advanced rope-rescue equipment through the Bear Lake Volunteer Firefighters Association.

This equipment gives our firefighters additional tools to safely stabilize vehicles during motor vehicle incidents and expands our rope-rescue capabilities. Proper stabilization is one of the most important steps before an extrication can begin, protecting both the patient and the firefighters working around the vehicle.

This isn't the first time TC Energy and Coastal GasLink have supported Bear Lake. They previously provided approximately $20,000 for wildland firefighting and structure-protection equipment, including pumps, hose, sprinklers and GPS equipment — which remains part of our wildfire response equipment today.



For a small volunteer fire department, investments like these make a real difference. They allow us to add equipment and capabilities that would otherwise take years to build through our normal budget and fundraising.



Thank you to TC Energy , Coastal GasLink , and Tamara Trevelyan for supporting our volunteers and helping us provide a better level of emergency response to Bear Lake and the surrounding area.

07/30/2026

Tonight members learned brand new skills with an introduction to rope rescue. Starting with a classroom overview on what hardware and software we use, then getting to handle and operate equipment up close. On the tables we built step-by-step a basic 3:1 mechanical advantage using our new CMC Clutches, CMC single and double swivel pulleys, sewn loop prussiks and static rope and carabiners so everyone could see a complete system. Then out to the bays for a little tug-of-war and quick conversions from a 3:1, to a 5:1. Our 2 newest recruits dove right in and participated in the entire class, great work everyone!

Next time ill stop talking long enough to get more photos!

07/18/2026

https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2026&incidentNumber=G10951&source=map

this Fire has been marked as under control now.

BC Wildfire Service App

07/01/2026

The first of several BIG announcements from the Bear Lake Fire Department!

Over the past six months, our Association has been working hard behind the scenes, applying for grants and pursuing funding opportunities for several important projects. These projects will advance the Fire Department’s training and capabilities further than ever before.

We want to send a HUGE thank you to Defense Metals for fully funding 11 new CPR manikins for our First Responder training program, and a new Blackstone combination BBQ and smoker for our social and community events!

The advanced, Bluetooth-enabled CPR training devices provide firefighters and instructors with real-time feedback on the quality of chest compressions and ventilations during training.

We now have six adult manikins, two youth manikins, two infant manikins, and one full-body manikin. The full-body manikin includes an “AED skin” that, when used with the included ShockLink device and one of our AEDs, can simulate cardiac rhythms and allow the AED to determine whether a shock is advised during a training scenario.

We can also download and review performance data after each training session, allowing us to evaluate the effectiveness of our efforts, identify areas for improvement, and continue strengthening our lifesaving skills.

During a cardiac emergency, high-quality CPR may be a patient’s only chance of survival. These new training tools will help ensure our responders are prepared to provide the best possible care when it matters most.

The new Blackstone BBQ and smoker will also be a great addition to our open houses, social gatherings, and other community events, helping us bring people together and strengthen our connection with the community.

Thank you, Defense Metals, for your generous support of our First Responders, our Fire Department, and our community!