Oyster River Fire Department

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ORFR Strategic Plan

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Fire Protection Areas

Find your fire protection area on this map.

Merville Fire Protection Services

Project information.

Mt. Washington Fire Services

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Download a Firefighter Application and submit it Chief Green at chief@oysterriverfire.ca or drop it off at the firehall during business hours.

Message from the Chief

The Deputy Chiefs and I are employees of the Comox Valley Regional District and the only full-time members of Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue. It gives me great pleasure to welcome readers to our official web site on behalf of our members.
The Department continually trains to improve the services we provide to residents of and visitors to the communities within our fire protection areas' boundaries.
Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue serves the Black Creek/Oyster Bay Fire Protection Area covering nearly 200 square kilometers where we answer 250 calls each year to serve approximately 8000 people.
Our equipment includes the following vehicles:

#40—ladder/engine
#41—rescue/engine
#42—pumper/engine
#44—4000 gallon tender
Oyster River #43—duty officer vehicle (Oyster River)
#45—chief's vehicle
#46—pumper/engine (Mt. Washington)
#47—ATV and trailer (Mt. Washington)
Merville #43—duty officer vehicle (Merville)
#48—rescue/engine (Merville)
#49—2500 gallon tender (Merville)
#48—8 passenger van

Our professional team of more than 70 volunteer firefighters trains to meet the National Fire Protection Association Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications and certification by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress and the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue is a Full Service Operations Fire Department according to the British Columbia Structure Firefighter Minimum Training Standards.

Wild Fire Exercise—Saturday, 2 May 2026

The exercise this Saturday, 2 May 2026,, is being directed by BC Wildfire Service and will involve several other agencies and Fire Departments. The purpose of the exercised is to train firefighters how to safely operate fire engines in communities facing the impacts of wildfires. This exercise will train members to respond to a wildfire in our area, improving the fire department's ability to serve our community. 55 Firefighters and 17 pieces of apparatus (fire trucks) from 11 fire departments will be participating.

The exercise will involve fire trucks in your area with emergency lights on, this is an exercise, so there is no need for alarm. The first activity in residential areas will likely not begin until mid-morning; then, you can anticipate seeing vehicles and firefighters at any time during the day. Activities will include simulated FireSmart (FireSmart BC) practices and the controlled flow of low volumes of water. Every effort wil be made not to damage property. The exercise will wrap up early in the evening.

Activity will take place only in properties from whom the department has received an indication that owners wish to participate.

We anticipate a press release on 30 April.

Open Burning is Authorized

Back Yard Burning

Effective at noon 1 April 2026, Burn Permits are required for all outdoor fires over 50 centimeters (20 inches).
Burning should be done ONLY on good venting days. Consult the BC Ventilation Index to determine whether it is appropriate to burn.

If you need a permit, email permits@oysterriverfire.ca and provide the following information:

your name,
the address at which you intend to burn,
your phone number,
the date(s) on which you intend to burn, and
a brief description of what you intend to burn.

Note: Requests for permits will be answered during normal business hours.

Your personal information will be collected for tracking the number and locations of permits issued. If you have any questions about the collection of this personal information, please contact the CVRD's privacy office at privacy@comoxvalleyrd.ca or 250-334-6070. This information is being collected by the Oyster River Fire Department under section 26 of FIPPA.

Questions

Contact the ORFR Duty Officer at 250-830-7155 with questions or concerns.

Flood Preparedness

Read the pamphlet "Flooding Preparedness on Northern Vancouver Island".
Sand and sand bags are available at the Oyster River Fire Hall. Sand is located by the rear parking lot. Bags are stored in a tote beside the sand.

Wildfire—Learn to be FireSmart

FireSmart standards are aimed at helping interface residents to prevent interface fires. Download the current BC FireSmart Homeowner's Manual.

Chimneys. Chimneys should be constructed to meet current British Columbia building code requirements and should be fitted with approved spark arrestors.
Burn Barrels. Burn barrels should be located well away from buildings and other combustible items. Burn barrels should have proper ventilation, screens and should never be left burning unattended. For safer disposal, take your debris to a landfill site.
Power Lines and Propane Tanks. Vegetation should be cleared well back from power lines, propane tanks, and other fuel supplies.
Emergency Access. FireSmart building sites have adequate access for emergency vehicles, with an on-site emergency water supply such as a pool, pond, or tank.
Shovels and Rakes. Every home should have shovels, rakes, axes, garden hoses, sprinklers, and roof ladders to assist in suppressing wildfires.

Visit BC Wildfire Service for more details.

Wildfire Preparedness Guide

Download a copy of PreparedBC's Wildfire Preparedness Guide.

Good News for Rural Home Owners

Oyster River Fire Rescue has successfully passed the Superior Tanker Shuttle Service. This means that Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue can supply enough water to have some areas without fire hydrants qualify as having a fire hydrant within 300 meters of their house. Fire Chief Bruce Green says "Now that this achievement is in place, residential property owners in the Black Creek—Oyster Bay and Merville Fire Protection Areas and the should know that they can contact their insurance provider to discuss if their property qualifies for any benefit on their premium of the fire portion of their residential policy."

Click on the image to download a full size copy of the appropriate certificate to provide to your insurance broker.

Fire Protection Bylaw Updates

Comox Valley Regional District bylaws relating to fire protection have recently been amended.
Review the amended bylaws by following these links:

Black Creek Oyster Bay Fire Protection LSA Bylaw No. 1964, 1998
Black Creek Oyster Bay Fire Service Administration Bylaw 695, 2022
Northern Fire Protection Service Areas Regulation Bylaw No. 689, 2022 (replaces Black Creek Oyster Bay Fire Protection Service Regulations Bylaw No. 357, 2014)

Dealing with Opioid Overdose

Use Naloxone to Save a Life

Naloxone is a life-saving drug that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Within 1 to 5 minutes, Naloxone can reverse slowed breathing. Naloxone should be given to an unresponsive person, particularly if they are breathing slowly or not at all.

Read this information from BC College of Pharmacists.

If you suspect an overdose, call 911 right away and follow the SAVE ME protocol while waiting for first responders, and administer Naloxone if available.

Have a Naloxone Kit Ready

BC has a Take Home Naloxone program in place to reduce the harm and deaths associated with opioid overdoses. The program provides training in overdose prevention, recognition, and first aid response.

You are eligible to receive a FREE Naloxone kit if you:

have a history of using substances particularly heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine;
are likely to witness and respond to an overdose (not including health care professionals or clinics for staff use on patients); and/or
are First Nations living in BC.

Find a pharmacy near you to obtain this life-saving kit.

Become an Opiod Harm Reduction Champion

The Red Cross offers free, 30-minute, on-line training to anyone interested in reducing stigma, changing attitudes towards opioid use, and increasing knowledge of how harm reduction works to help during an opioid poisoning emergency.

Personal Emergency Preparedness

Oyster River Fire Department and the Comox Valley Emergency Program (CVEP) offer Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) training free of charge to local residents.

Sessions are held at the Oyster River Fire Department hall on a regular basis. Please watch this space for future dates and times.

To register and place your name on a wait list, please call Oyster River Volunteer Fire Rescue at 250-337-8121.

Help Us Help You—Use Reflective Address Signs

Firefighters and First Responders can find your residence only if your address number is well marked. Reflective address signs can make a difference that might save lives.

Reflective signs are available through many on-line outlets and local sign shops.