The City of Langford received a $400,000 grant from the province to help prepare the community as wildfire season makes headway.
The FireSmart Community Funding and Supports grant, which comes from the provincial Community Resiliency Investment Program, will be utilized by the Langford Fire Department to advance its approach to reducing wildfire risks with a focus on community engagement and education.
"Langford's first-ever strategic plan outlines a clear vision for seven priority areas, including quality of life, with a key focus on public safety," said Scott Goodmanson, Mayor of Langford, in a news release. "This grant offers a great opportunity to bring the community together, to deploy FireSmart solutions collectively, and to ensure that we, as a community, are better prepared and more resilient in the face of wildfire seasons."
The grant will also continue to fund the FireSmart coordinator position, who is tasked with developing and expanding the FireSmart B.C. program for the city. FireSmart B.C.'s strategic goal is to ensure all residents are aware of the program, understand their roles, accept responsibility, and take proactive steps to enhance wildfire resiliency.
“Wildland interface fires have been identified as a risk to Langford as the city is surrounded by forests,” noted Fire Chief and Emergency Program Coordinator Chris Aubrey in the release. “This grant will allow us to continue to build Langford into a resilient and FireSmart community and help mitigate the impacts of interface fires to keep residents safe.”