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Fire Protection

TNRD, City of Merritt strike deal to offer fire protection to majority of Lower Nicola properties

Jun 30, 2022 | 12:10 PM

LOWER NICOLA, B.C. — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has announced a deal with the City of Merritt to restore fire protection to the majority of Lower Nicola properties that had service pulled one week earlier.

The TNRD suspended fire protection service to 634 properties on June 23 after determining their contracted partner, the Lower Nicola Indian Band, didn’t have the personnel to cover the area.

Thursday (June 30), the district announced 76 per cent of those properties will now be covered by Merritt Fire Rescue.

Image Credit: TNRD

The district says the 24 per cent of properties that are not going to be covered by the new agreement, mainly in the Sunshine Valley and Canford areas, are too far from Merritt’s fire hall. Those property owners will be issued a partial tax refund from the district.

The interim agreement between the TNRD and the City of Merritt is in effect until the end of 2022. In the meantime, the two parties, along with the Lower Nicola Indian Band, will continue discussion on a long-term agreement. Among the TNRD’s explorations will be determining the long-term feasibility of placing a TNRD-administered fire hall in the Lower Nicola area.

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