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The 1990's for the Kaleden Fire Department have been very productive ten years.
I have gathered a few memories of those years:
Starting in 1990, the department responded to 43 incidents. This was the year that First Responders started in the Province and the year that our first instructor went to Vancouver for training. Anna-Jo Smid had the task to training the first team.
Our budget for that year was $62,000.
1991- During the early part of this year our first Fire Chief retired suddenly and I took on the job. This was made possible by the cooperation of the membership and the community. We soon discovered this was unusual to have a woman Fire Chief when we received a number of members from the news media wanting to do a story about this.
We responded to 53 incidents that year, 2-structure fires (barn on Lakehill and a house on Maple St) and 8 chimney fires. Remember those 10 false alarms to the school in the middle of the night.
 This was the year that Tanker 4 was purchased. A pump panel, emergency lights, sirens and a new paint job were required before we could put it into service.
In 1991 the RDOS doubled our Fire Protection District to include parts of White Lake Road and Highway 3A.
Our budget for that year was $63,400.
1992- We responded to 45 incidents, the most serious being a structure fire (Oak St).
With the increase of our emergency vehicles and fitting three vehicles in bay one and two, it became necessary to build Bay Four.
Our budget for that year wa $78,200.
1993- Saw the department respond to 64 incidents. Of these incidents one was a structure fire (Arylane Rd), 14 chimney fires and 16 were false alarms to the Kaleden School.
Because we were opening the doors so often it was decided to put in automatic door openers.
Our budget for that year ws $82,000.
1994- What a year!
 We purchased the 1990 Suburban to replace the 1974 Dodge Van.
We responded to 57 incidents, among these was one structure fire, 13 MVA's and 3 chimney fires. Our Tanker truck along with firefighters spent 4 days fighting fire in Penticton for the Garnet Fire, 95 firefighter hours were used.
On Agust 8th at 40 minutes after midnight we responded to the beach for an illegal fire and at 3 o'clock in the morning of the same day we were called to St Andrews Lodge.
Upon arrival we found it totally involved with a working fire. We had 183 firefighter hours for that incident that was a 17-hour day for a few of the members and 1 million-dollar insurance claim. To add to the year the RDOS decided to increase our fire protection area once again to take in all the areas on White Lake Road and Hwy 3A that were left out in 1991.
Click here to see map.
In our spare time we were designing a mini pumper
Our budget for that year was $104,000.
1995- The department responded to 56 incidents, among these were 2 minor structure fires (Spruce St-Hilde and Cedar St- trees beside the house) and 39 First Responder, MVA calls.
 This was the year that Engine 2, the Freightliner 4x4 arrived. Nice truck was the term used by most.
Our budget for that year was $ 129,200
1996: Firefighters responded to 48 incidents. Among those were three structure fires (Cedar Ave-frozen pipes, Junoper Ave and play ground equipment at the school) and 25 First Resonders calls, 2 of FR calls were for victims who had lost a leg, one man who’s leg was caught under a back hoe track and one 7 year old boy whose leg was caught in rope on a ski boat. The fire hall parking lot retaining wall was built which increased our parking area.
Our budget for that year was $111,000.
1997: We responded to 56 incidents, 36 of these were First Responders, MVA mixed.
The Kaleden Fire Department celebrates there 25th year of service to the community with an open house and publishing of the History of the Kaleden Fire Department.
The parking lot ws paved and the fire hall received a power upgrade to allow the fire hall to have backup power in the event of a power failure. To get us into the 20th century we installed a computer to make the Chief’s life easier. Our budget for that year was $114,000.
1998: We responded to 65 emergencies that year. We started out by by being called out to a grass fire in January with the temperature at -20C degrees ; this was a wooden retaining wall on fire. February we attended a structure fire (Linden Ave) and in August to a chimney fire with a temperature at 28C. There were 38 First Responders calls. Our new office was built that year which made life even easier for the Chief.
Our budget for that year was $117,400.
1999: There were 54 incidents and a budget of $118,799.
Total incidents recorded for the 10 years were 541.
As of 1993 we have operated this department without debts or loans.
All equipment purchased or built was done so from money saved in a reserve fund.
Total budget, which is operation budget, equipment budget and reserve fund for ten years was $980,000.
This is ten years that the members of this department should be proud of . I belive we have operated a progressive department for the last 27 years. In those 27 years there have been no serious injuries to the firefighters or the equipment.
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Darlene Bailey