RDBN director Mark Fisher wants to know how much Smithers residents are willing to pay for wildfire protection.
Fisher has launched a survey for residents of Smithers Rural Area A to determine public interest in a mobile water trailer.
In his proposal, Fisher offers up the idea of a one-time payment of between 50 and 100 dollars per resident for Protective Services to purchase the vehicle.
At a cost of 150 thousand dollars, Fisher’s trailer would feature a built in sprinkler system and could be deployed at the edges of fires to defend rural properties.
According to Fisher, it is possible that other funding options could end up paying for the vehicle, but he wants to see who would back it if all else fails.
