Dear Editor:
As municipal council is planning to hear a special presentation regarding the Banks Crescent development in Summerland, I would hope that the safety of 500 to 1,000 residents and staff of the proposed facility will be taken into account.
That safety will not be cheap for taxpayers.
Aerial equipment will be a must to reach six floors.
It would not be enough to rely on “mutual aid” with Penticton to supply that equipment with, at best, a 20-minute response time and so many lives at stake.
Summerland must have a ladder truck or snorkel of its own.
The turning radius for an aerial truck and the space required in order to park it far enough from the building to gain height and angle to operate needs careful consideration.
Also, the congestion and confusion caused by fire, police and ambulance vehicles needing to share that space in order to access residents would be horrendous.
It is reasonable to expect that many residents will have infirmities and would need individual help to escape. Hopefully there will be enough staff on hand to assist until first responders arrive.
Unless careful planning happens and dollars are spent, the potential for disaster is enormous.
Eric Cooper
Captain (retired) Kamloops Fire Department
Summerland