New vehicle will support fire service in Champagne
Press Release
March 4, 2025
As part of the Government of Yukon’s work to strengthen volunteer fire services in unincorporated communities, the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office recently delivered a new pickup truck to Champagne’s Scene Safety Response Unit (SSRU).
The new truck is a 2024 Ford Super Duty F-350 XL pickup, equipped with radios, a 300GMP Honda pump and a 300-gallon tank.
The 10 volunteers in Champagne’s SSRU have been training for the past year with the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office and neighbouring fire departments to support fire safety in their community.
The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office will continue encouraging community-based, community-driven and community-supported volunteer fire services by providing appropriate equipment, training and administrative support across the territory.
A second SSRU truck is in Whitehorse being fitted with radio and water tank before heading to another volunteer fire service in the next month. Additionally, work is underway for the Yukon government to procure a new fire rescue truck in 2025.
To learn more about volunteering for their local fire service, people can contact the Fire Marshal’s Office by emailing cs.fmo@yukon.ca or phoning 867-456-6517.
The Yukon government is committed to the sustainable delivery of rural fire services. We appreciate the work done by Champagne volunteers in partnership with the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office firehalls. We look forward to continued progress together.
Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn
Champagne & Aishihik First Nations is excited to be part of the Yukon government Scene Safety Response Unit (SSRU). The community of Champagne has received a new fire protection pickup truck fitted with a 300-gallon water tank, a 300 GMP Honda pump and radios. This equipment will help the community of Champagne respond to fire emergencies more effectively.
The SSRU in Champagne is already making a difference in keeping our community safe. In the summer of 2024, a small fire started at the top of the hill in Champagne. Luckily, community members spotted the fire and were able to extinguish it before it spread. Having new equipment and training for citizens will go a long way in protecting the community of Champagne.
With 10 volunteers now able to respond to local emergencies, the support for fire safety in Champagne has significantly improved.
Champagne & Aishihik First Nations is proud to be working with the Yukon government and the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office.
Shäw nithän.
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Dän nätthe äda Kh’úkhįá (Chief Barb Joe)
The Fire Marshal’s Office is delighted to equip Champagne’s Scene Safety Response Unit with this new vehicle. It’s great to see training and dedication come together with the right equipment to help deliver community safety.
Yukon Fire Marshal Kiara Adams
Quick facts
- The Fire Marshal’s Office is working with Yukon communities to establish levels of fire service in each community, from Fire Safety Champion, to Scene Safety Response Unit, to full Fire Department. The goal is to match community needs and capacity with an appropriate and sustainable fire program
- Volunteers for all levels of fire service are paid an honorarium for time spent in training or callout.
- Before the new vehicle arrived, Champagne’s unit was using a pickup truck loaned by the neighbouring Ibex Valley Fire Department.
- SSRU volunteers are trained to operate the equipment to establish wet perimeters around burning buildings and prevent spread to other structures. An SSRU is an intermediate level of fire service, not a full fire department, so volunteers in these communities do not put water on fire or enter burning buildings.
- The Fire Marshal’s Office works with Yukon communities to oversee 16 volunteer fire departments and fire programs, providing administrative support, personal protective equipment and training resources to more than 196 volunteers across the territory. The FMO also oversees the Special Heavy Operations Team (SHOT).
Media contact
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
Laura.Seeley@yukon.ca
Julia Duchesne
Communications, Community Services
867-332-4188
julia.duchesne@yukon.ca
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