Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 edition - Body armour for firefighters?

Grace Giesbrecht
November 06, 2023

🌧 High 6C

Good morning!

My parents will be in town this weekend, and I’m trying to figure out where and what I should take them to. I take great pride in my tour guide role, but I’m struggling a little. None of the hockey teams are playing home games and it’s supposed to rain. If you have any ideas, let me know in a reply to this email!

– Grace

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NEWS

Why Mission may buy body armour for its firefighters

Firefighters in Mission could soon be equipped with body armour. 📷️ Shutterstock

Burning buildings aren’t the only risk that firefighters face on the job.

Mission may soon outfit its firefighters with body armour following a series of worrying interactions in recent years.

Mission city staff have recommended the municipality immediately spend $15,000 on the body armour. They cite four different events over the last two years, including an “attempted axe attack” on a deputy chief attending a burning complaint and a recent standoff in which crews responded to an outbuilding fire only for the situation to turn into a police standoff.

Today, Tyler writes about why Mission fire crews say they need more protection while on the job.

Related

On the fire frontlines

A Fraser Valley firefighter's first-hand look at a major BC fire

Need to Know

⚖ A former MMA fighter who is facing charges after a car crashed into a Langley RCMP office received support from family at his first court appearance [Langley Advance Times]

👉 Flooding closed Highway 1 between Chilliwack and Hope Saturday night [Castanet]

🎆 Chilliwack will celebrate its 150th birthday later this month with fireworks and food trucks [Chilliwack Progress]

🚨 Two shootings were reported within 10 minutes of each other in Abbotsford Sunday; police think they’re related [Global]

🚓 Mission RCMP raided an Abbotsford home in late October and seized a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition [Mission RCMP]

👉 A ’serial sex predator’ from Abbotsford who worked as a masseur was sentenced to prison [Abbotsford News]

🔎 A 54-year-old Langley woman has been reported missing and police are looking for information [Langley RCMP]

🚔 A Langley realtor who dragged a police officer with his car at a road stop has been sentenced to house arrest [Langley Advance Times]

👉 Police shut down a large fentanyl lab near Mission after reports of gunfire [Global]

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The Agenda

Abbotsford’s communications department will see a new member added. 📷️ Getty Images

Abbotsford to spend $137k on a communications officer

Abbotsford city hall will spend more than $130,000 to add another body to its communications department for a year, but the plan triggered rare opposition around the council table last week.

The city will spend $137,000 to hire one communications staffer who will be tasked with providing information to residents about city programs and services, Abbotsford’s financial manager Kamal Basatia said Monday. “This provides more opportunity for residents to learn about the work the city is performing.”

Mayor Ross Siemens described the city’s current two-person communications department as “very lean” compared to other municipalities. Those staffers respond to media requests and provide information through city press releases and social media channels.

Council has already approved the additional body, though the matter returned to the council table Monday as part of a comprehensive update to the city’s five-year financial plan. Coun. Simon Gibson said the project’s cost didn’t seem like an efficient use of money.

In response to a question from Coun. Mark Warkentin about how the project will be evaluated after the pilot project concludes in a year, city manager Peter Sparanese said: “The performance measures are articulating the things we have achieved—or that you have achieved as council over the previous year.”

Coun. Patricia Ross said the position was needed. She said she regularly hears from residents complaining about a lack of information regarding city works and activities, and could result in more and better feedback on what can be done better.

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🗓 Things to do

Learn: The Mission Library will be hosting a talk on sustainable cemeteries on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Details online.

Hockey: The Vancouver Giants will play the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the Langley Events Centre. Details and tickets online.

Dance: The Bez Arts Hub in Langley is hosting an all-ages community dance party? Expect to party like it’s your cousin’s wedding. Details online.

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Catch up

Big changes eyed for Abbotsford's prize park

From earlier this year: Abbotsford mulls major additions and removals as a new park plan is developed.

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