At the October 25 qathet Regional District (qRD) board meeting, directors endorsed an application to Union of British Columbia Municipalities for the volunteer and composite fire departments equipment and training funding stream of the community emergency preparedness fund. The application is for the Northside Volunteer Fire Department, Savary Island Volunteer Fire Department, Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department and Lasqueti Island Volunteer Fire Department.
If grant funding can be procured, it will go toward establishing a resilient minds program, which is an evidence-informed, peer-to-peer, skill-building program for firefighters, engaging firefighters in trauma, psychological distress, trauma-informed responses and exploring resilience, personal well-being, reconnection and post-traumatic growth, according to a staff report.
The four fire departments have recognized the unique stresses on fire department members’ mental health resulting from their service.
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