West Kelowna Fire Rescue Chief Jason Brolund addresses City Council Wed. Oct 22/ screen grab City of West Kelowna meeting

By Vernon Matters Staff

protecting the future

West K to invest in more firefighters for future high-rises

Oct 23, 2025 | 9:31 AM

City Council has approved a firefighting plan to ensure West Kelowna Fire Rescue is equipped to meet the demands of mid- and high-rise development as the city grows in future.

That will cost about $1.6 million a year as the fire department seeks 10 additional personnel in the coming years. It’s not clear when the hires would take place.

At least one city councillor fears the lack of specialist firefighting resources for tall buildings has slowed high-rise development.

“Developers can’t build those high-rise structures because we can’t defend them [from fire],” city councillor Rick de Jong said during Wednesday’s council meeting. “They can’t even start; they can’t get financing in place.”

But West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said the extra hiring need not happen until once a building permit is issued and suggested that’s a strong statement on the future for the development community and the City.

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He said it would take 18 months to hire and train the new firefighters.

“The intent is [the firefighters] would not be hired until such time as a building permit was issued,” he said. “That provides the certainty to you as council that we won’t have the plan executed but no buildings to protect.”

He recommended a place-holder for the $1.6 million be put in the 2027 budget.