qathet Regional District wins two BC Municipal Safety Association Awards
qathet, B.C. – On October 7, 2025, the qathet Regional District (qRD) and Northside Volunteer Fire Department were presented with two awards celebrating excellence in safety innovation and leadership in occupational health and safety practices by the BC Municipal Safety Association. Manager of Occupational Health and Safety, Melanie Taylor also received an honourable mention for her dedication to advancing the Regional District’s occupational health and safety goals.
(Manager of Occupational Health and Safety, Melanie Taylor (center) accepts BCMSA Awards on behalf of qRD and Northside Volunteer Fire Department)
“Our volunteer firefighters are committed to training and building their experience so they are prepared to jump into action to save lives and property in the event of a medical or fire emergency,” said Northside Volunteer Fire Chief, Jim Brown. “We are committed to keeping our first responders safe. As we train, and operate provide a live fire training facility for the entire region, it is critical that our firefighters remain protected from injuries on the site so that in the event of an emergency, they are ready and able to respond.”
“Since 2019 when implementation of the safety program began, the qRD’s safety performance has improved considerably, and has inspired incredible innovative safety solutions throughout the organization,” said Ryan Thoms, General Manager of Emergency Services. “The development and continuous improvement of the safety program has been extremely effective in preventing injuries, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, assisting with return-to-work options, and minimizing WorkSafeBC premiums, and fees. Congratulations to the entire Northside Volunteer Fire Department crew, and to Ms. Taylor for all her leadership and support in all aspects of occupational health and safety.”
“The qathet Regional District and Northside Volunteer Fire Department have demonstrated a notable example of leadership, dedication, and hard work in reducing the costs of claims by creating a safer and healthier workplace and helping injured workers recover and return to work,” said Mike Roberts, BC Municipal Safety Association CEO. “Congratulations on your ongoing efforts to promote safety in your workplaces.”
“We would like to commend the Northside Volunteer Fire Department on their Innovative Safety Solution award, as well as commend all our staff for their collective efforts to improve our experience rating, and reduce and prevent illness and injuries at work,” said Regional Board Chair Clay Brander. “The Regional Board would also like to give a special congratulations to Ms. Taylor for all her hard work laying the foundation for our Occupational Health and Safety program, and for providing outstanding health and safety guidance to the entire organization.”
Background on the 2025 Innovative Safety Solution Award:
Northside Volunteer Fire Department recently built a live fire training facility. The facility includes a three-story training building and three propane-fueled props: a dumpster, a propane tank, and a car. The props are ignited by an igniter. The igniter is stored in a storage shed at the facility, and needs to be carried over to the back of each prop to hook it up and ignite it. The furthest prop is approximately 90 feet from the storage shed. Weighing over 100 pounds and requiring two firefighters to lift and move it over the sloped, gravel training grounds, lifting and maneuvering the igniter was identified as an ergonomic hazard.
To address the hazard, Northside Volunteer Fire Department members designed and custom-built a mobile cart. The cart’s design, which includes a steering system and rubber tires, allows the igniter to easily roll around the gravel terrain of the training grounds, and to slide easily into each live fire prop without the firefighters having to lower it down. By creating this ergonomically-friendly mobile cart, the fire department members have greatly reduced the risk of injury while maneuvering the igniter.
Background on the 2025 Organizational Safety Excellence Award:
Through the BCMSA Municipal Safety Excellence Award, the BCMSA recognizes local governments for activities that improve their experience rating, and ultimately reduce injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities. In the last four years, the qRD’s experience rating has improved by 19.3 percentage points. Since 2022 and 2023, the qRD’s experience rating has improved by 47 and 49.5 percentage points, respectively. In 2024, the qRD’s experience rating improved to a 5.1% surcharge, and further improved in 2025 to a discount of 20.9% on WorkSafeBC premiums and fees.
In April 2024, the qRD passed its first WorkSafeBC Certificate of Recognition (COR) audit. The COR audit is a voluntary employer certification program intended to motivate employers to take a proactive role in occupational health and safety. The COR program recognizes and rewards employers who go beyond the current legal requirements, implement an effective occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), and pass a certification audit to the standards set out by WorkSafeBC. To learn more about WorkSafeBC, please visit: Worksafebc.com.
About the BC Municipal Safety Association:
The British Columbia Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) is an independent, non-profit organization committed to improving worker health and safety in all industries throughout the province.
The BC Municipal Safety Association recognizes local governments for activities that improve their experience rating, and ultimately reduce injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities. These awards aim to encourage the sharing of forward-thinking ideas which have been implemented to create a safer, healthier work environment, and practices which go beyond what is considered routine in the industry. To learn more about the BCMSA, please visit: bcmsa.ca
CONTACT:
Ryan Thoms, General Manager of Emergency Services
#202 – 4675 Marine Avenue,
Powell River, B.C. V8A 2L2
Phone: 604-485-2260
Email: administration@qathet.ca