VFRS responding to an apartment fire in downtown Vernon in October of 2025 (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Fire Department Annual Report

VFRS saw slight decline in calls for service last year

Jan 23, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) had a busy 2025, however, there were fewer calls than the year before.

The annual report from the local fire department said crews were called out for 4,893 incidents in the latest reporting year.

That was down approximately one per cent from the 4,962 calls VFRS responded to in 2024.

Though overall calls did slip a little, the local fire brigade’s annual report said a lot of other work was done locally.

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VFRS and the City of Vernon were able to secure a number of grants for emergency operations centre equipment and training, emergency support services equipment and training, Indigenous engagement, Indigenous capacity building, FireSmart work, and technical rope rescue equipment and training.

VFRS also worked with B.C. Wildfire Service on joint training exercises and fuel treatment work, and a new mutual aid agreement between the local fire station and the District of Lake Country’s fire department was endorsed.

The Emergency Support Services team, which includes 75 volunteers, also completed more than 400 hours of training in 2025, and responded to 19 activations. One of those incidents was classified as a “complex activation” and lasted 61 days.

Fire Prevention and Life Safety also completed 1,821 fire inspections, 260 new business license inspections, and 35 fire investigations in 2025.

The report will be presented to Vernon city council at the regular meeting Monday, Jan. 26.

Coldstream’s year-over-year comparison

The firefighters in Coldstream also had a busy 2025.

Reports to Coldstream Council said the members of the Coldstream Fire Hall responded to 239 calls for service in 2025, while the Lavington fire crews attended 107 incidents.

Coldstream Fire Department said its calls in 2025 were similar to the number recorded the year before, while Lavington did not provide a comparison in the report.

The call-outs the two fire departments responded to in 2025 involved:

These reports will also be presented to Coldstream council at the regular meeting Monday, Jan. 26.