Langford Fire Rescue has been the City of Langford’s primary fire and rescue organization since 1947.
Langford Fire Rescue is a composite department made up of both IAFF and paid-on-call members who care passionately about their community. Over 60-members strong, Langford Fire Rescue is a full-service department that provides a variety of services including fire fighting, motor vehicle incidents and technical rescue.
Langford Fire Rescue prides itself, not only in our responsibility to our community’s safety, but also the welfare of those within and beyond our city limits.
The members of Langford Fire Rescue are as caring as they are professional in their duties. Numerous groups benefit from Langford Fire Rescue fundraising drives. Through classic firefighter initiatives such as the Boot Drive for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, which has been the main beneficiary of Langford Fire Rescue’s fundraising efforts since the 1970s. They also support the BC Burn Fund and Wounded Warriors, among other.
The City’s firefighting force has also been an aid leader on an international scale by initiating several programs to assist those in need across the globe. Canadians Sending Afghanistan Firefighting Equipment (CAN S.A.F.E.) collected donated surplus equipment from firefighting departments from across Canada and delivers it, with proper training, to under-equipped Afghan firefighters. Following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Langford Fire provided support to an orphanage in desperate need of repairs.
For burning complaints please contact Bylaw Enforcement here, or by calling 250-474-0604 during office hours (M-F 8:30 to 4:30). For burning complaints outside of these hours, please contact the West Shore RCMP non-emergency line at 250-474-2264.
Fire Department Reception
(250) 478-9555 (Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30, excluding statutory holidays) or
There are several environmentally friendly ways to dispose of your yard waste rather than burning the materials.
They include the “Three C’s”:
Chipping
Composting
Commercial disposal
The Westshore Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau maintain a list of local businesses that can be contacted to assist you with any of these alternative solutions to burning.
**Residents of properties that qualify may apply for the permit here.**
The City of Langford has amended Fire Regulations Bylaw in an effort to reduce the amount of smoke generated from open burning and to improve air quality during the scheduled burn days. It is anticipated that these changes will benefit those who have health problems affected by smoke and it will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released to the environment.
Who can burn?
Only individually-owned residential properties that are 2023 square meters (0.5 acres) or greater or greater in size.
When can you burn?
There are now two permitted burn periods. The first is between November 1 and November 30 and the second is between March 15 and April 15 of any calendar year (inclusive). There is no burning permitted on long weekends. Residents of properties that qualify may apply for a permit here.
In order to burn you must meet the following conditions:
Individually-Owned Residential properties must be 2023 square meters (0.5 acre) or greater.
Maintain a clearance of 6 meters (20 ft) from any structure.
Maintain a clearance of 3 meters (10 ft) from shrubbery and wooden fences.
Ensure that the base of the open fire is no larger in area than 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters (5 ft by 5 ft).
Ensure that extinguishing equipment such as a charged water hose is readily available.
Maintain a constant supervision over the fire by a responsible person 16 years or older.
Take every reasonable precaution to prevent heavy smoke being generated or becoming a nuisance.
An individually-owned residential property is allowed a maximum of 2 permits per burning period. A maximum of 20 permits will be issued per day throughout the city.
Burning is only permitted from sunrise to sunset and only leaves and tree trimmings are acceptable. No burning of garbage, organic waste, plastic, rubber, asphalt shingles, or any similar materials. The burning of debris resulting from logging, land clearing, construction, demolition and/or businesses shall be prohibited at all times and there is no burning permitted on any street, land or boulevard allowance. Burning is also not permitted during a period of high wind even if a permit has already been issued for that date.
In the City of Langford you must get a permit in order to have a campfire. Langford residents can now obtain a campfire permit by applying online. This easy-to-use application form can be accessed conveniently on the day of the fire and the permit will be sent electronically to your email. There is no charge to obtaining a permit online.
NOTE: One (1) campfire permit may be obtained per residential property per day and is valid for three hours (3) from the time of issuance.
Click here to apply for the on-line Campfire Permit.
General Guidelines for Campfires.
Shall be no larger than 0.6m by 0.6m (2 ft by 2 ft)
May be in a ground pit, or an above ground container made of non-combustible material (metal container, brick, cement, etc.), or an open ground of mineral soil, gravel or sand
Must be supervised at all times by a person 16 years of age or older
Are not to be lit during high winds
Ensure that the campfire is fueled by firewood only and shall not be used to burn household refuse, plastics, rubber, asphalt shingles, construction or demolition waste, yard waste (branches and leaves) or similar materials
A garden hose or reasonable means to control the fire is to be readily available while the campfire is lit
Clearances for campfires shall be 6m (20 ft) from any building, 3 m (10 ft) from any shrubbery, wooden fences, over hanging trees, or combustible materials
The fire must be completely extinguished and soaked to stop re-ignition by midnight (00:00 hrs) or before the fire becomes unsupervised
Campfire permits will not be issued when the wildfire risk reaches extreme.
Fireworks sales are now banned everywhere in the Capital Region, including all West Shore communities. Discharges of consumer (“family fireworks”) are allowed only under permit on October 31 between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm. Call Langford City Hall for permit and annual Fireworks Safety Course information at (250) 478-7882
To Obtain a Permit:
PERSONS WISHING TO HAVE A FIREWORKS EVENT and have taken the West Shore Fireworks Safety Course within the past three years (2022 or later) may obtain the permit from their Municipality (City Hall). Please call ahead to ensure access to municipal offices:
City of Langford, 877 Goldstream Avenue, (250) 478-7882
City of Colwood, 3300 Wishart Road, (250) 478-5999
Town of View Royal, 333 Island Highway, (250) 479-7322
District of Highlands, 1980 Millstream Road, (250) 474-1773
PERSONS WISHING TO HAVE A FIREWORKS EVENT IN LANGFORD but have NOT taken the West Shore Fireworks Safety Course within the past three years (2022 or later) MUST FIRST COMPLETE the online West Shore Fireworks Safety Course –West Shore Residents ONLY.
ONLINE FIREWORKS COURSE FOR 2025 -Check back in September 2025
Once the online West Shore Fireworks Safety Course has been completed and passed (minimum 10/12), an online Fireworks Permit Application is to be completed, printed off and brought in with the permit fee (cash only please) to obtain the Fireworks Permit from the persons respective Municipal Hall.
PERMITS MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE 12:00 pm (NOON) ON OCTOBER 31, 2024
Everyone must have a permit to possess or discharge any fireworks;
Permits are issued only to persons 18 years of age and older; and
No fireworks or firecrackers may be sold or traded in these municipalities.
Consult the complete bylaw for full information – including permit costs and other requirements – before planning your event.
PLEASE NOTE: The issuance of fireworks permits will be contingent on current fire conditions.
Types of Permits:
Consumer (family) and Display fireworks permit – Valid only on October 31st
Pyrotechnic fireworks permit (Community Events)
Fireworks Safety Course:
Completion of the Fireworks Safety Course is required for those wishing to obtain a consumer (family) fireworks permit. (Only Valid on October 31st of each year)
Click here for the Firework Application – Consumer and Display
Please note: The certificate of completion for the Fireworks Safety Course is valid for three years. If you took the course in 2020 you are required to take it again. If you took the course in 2021 or 2022 you may want to take it again to refresh your safety knowledge, but you do not need to repeat the course in order to apply for a permit.
Visit the CRD Website for animal-related (dogs and horses) Halloween/fireworks tips.
Langford Fire Rescue
Langford Fire Rescue
Approximately sixty-two men and women serve as active firefighters with Langford Fire Rescue. We are a composite department in that we have both career and Paid-On-Call members. Our management and administrative members include the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief and the Confidential Assistant to the Fire Chief. Our career members are represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 2848 and our Paid-On-Call members are represented by the Langford Volunteer Firefighter’s Association. All three elements of the department serve the City of Langford in many community functions.
Being a firefighter is much more than just putting out fires. We are very active in the “First Responder” program where we provide pre-hospital care often before an ambulance arrives. We also provide Auto Extrication, Public Education, Rope Rescue, Water Rescue and many more activities for the community.
For many years, Langford Fire Rescue (LFR) has prioritized the health and wellness of its members.
The Mental Resilience manual, developed by Lt. Brayden Osborn of the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department, was originally introduced in 2020. It is a comprehensive program that provides guidance for all aspects of mental health and wellness.
Langford Fire Rescue responds to all motor vehicle accidents within the City of Langford and is responsible for the extrication of patients from motor vehicles.
At any motor vehicle accident (MVA), we must first neutralize any hazards such as leaking fuels, downed power lines and fires and then stabilize the vehicles involved. Once the scene is safe, we then must determine, in consultation with BC Ambulance crews, the safest and most efficient way to extricate the patient from the vehicle.
Auto extrication can be very challenging. Often vehicles land in precarious positions, such as on their side, down embankments, or upside down. Sometimes there are multiple vehicles and multiple patients involved. Extrication teams must train constantly to prepare for such scenarios so we may be best able to remove the patient in the fastest possible manner, while minimizing discomfort and avoiding further injury to the patient.
With ever-changing designs and safety devices in the automotive industry, Langford Fire Rescue must continually train and educate responding personnel to provide efficient extrication for those in need. Through guest instructors and courses from the Justice Institute of British Columbia and other departments, Langford remains current in today’s extrication techniques and vehicle design.
Emergency radio communications are performed by a team of volunteer amateur radio operators who provide essential communications when traditional methods (landline phones, mobile phones, and internet) are compromised due to emergency or natural disaster.
Voice and email communications are performed using amateur radio (HF, VHF, and UHF) to establish contacts and transfer messages among:
The three Langford firehalls
Langford’s Emergency Program Coordinator (EPC)
Emergency Management BC (EMBC)
Other municipal Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs)
Amateur radio operators in the community
Langford Emergency Radio Communication members meet weekly throughout the year on Wednesday nights, on the air and at Station No. 2 at 6:00 p.m. Exercises in message handling and passing using various modes of radio operation (analog and digital) are performed.
If you are interested in amateur radio and would like to use your hobby to help with community emergency communications, please phone the Amateur Radio Communications Coordinator at 250-478-8118 and leave a message or send an email to . You do not have to have an amateur radio certificate but you must be willing to work on obtaining one. We can help you with that! It’s a great way to enjoy the hobby while serving the community.
Langford Emergency Support Services (ESS) is a team of community volunteers who respond to provide essential services needed by people forced from their homes by emergencies or disasters.
Essential services provided:
Food
Lodging
Clothing
Registration & Inquiry
Personal Services
Other Specialized Services
These volunteers donate their time and energy to receive extensive training and have proven to be an invaluable resource in many emergencies.
Langford ESS members meet monthly at Station No. 1 at 7:00 p.m. on the second Monday of the month from September through June.
If you would like to assist the team with planning and operating the system, please attend the next meeting or phone the ESS office at (250) 478-5510 and leave a message.
Individual and family preparedness can reduce the need for help and lessen damage to people and property. Click here to be redirected to the BC Provincial Government website to learn more on how to prepare your home, prepare for your family and for your pets. Click on this link to learn more on how to “Build an Emergency Kit“.
Langford Fire Rescue provides the primary fire suppression for the City of Langford. Our members are thoroughly trained in a wide variety of fire suppression, from structural firefighting to wild land interface fires.
Due to Langford’s varied landscape and development, fires in Langford can range from small garbage bin fires to large warehouse blazes. As such Langford Fire Rescue is prepared to deal with fires in a host of structures from residential dwellings to industrial complexes, and each has their own set of hazards.
Training Members train constantly in different life-saving and fire suppression techniques to keep their skills sharp in this highly dangerous and demanding role. We train to Justice Institute of British Columbia standards with each firefighter completing a minimum of Firefighter Level II.
Each Station has a Primary Fire Engine (Engines 1, 2 and 3) outfitted for structural firefighting as well as many support vehicles such as Ladder 1 and Rescue 1.
Each of our primary Fire Engines have Thermal Imaging Cameras which allow the firefighters to see through smoke in structures to locate people and the source of the fire quickly.
Wildfires and Interface Fires Interface fire zones are areas where commercial and residential buildings could be threatened in the event of a wildfire.
With the potential for bush fires to progress rapidly we have designed a vehicle for rapid response in the bush (Brush 1).
The First Responder program was developed by the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the BC Ambulance Service in order to train firefighters and police officers in emergency medical care.
First Responder was created to ensure that a person in distress receives proper medical attention in a timely manner. Do not be surprised to find that in the event that 9-1-1 is called for an ambulance the fire department responds as first responders to assist the ambulance paramedics.
Langford Fire Rescue actively participates in a number of courses through the Justice Institute, including First Responder. Department members are certified as First Responder III with AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) and Spinal Management endorsements.
These courses must be re-certified every three years with the exception of the AED endorsement, which is re-certified every six months. Langford Fire Rescue includes the First Responder Program in its weekly training to ensure the skills of our firefighters are up-to-date with developing technology, techniques, and protocols.
The City of Langford is a developing community nestled amidst wilderness: a landscape that challenges Langford Fire Rescue to train for extreme rescue situations.
High Angle Rope Rescue
Our rescue crews train hard to overcome the challenge of Langford’s mountainous terrain and high-angle sites in many of the parks and hills that offer gorgeous views from the well-maintained trails.
We strongly recommend people stay on the trails and not wander too far off the beaten path. Staying on trails will prevent you from encountering unseen dangers and help maintain the beauty of our natural scenery.
Langford Fire Rescue has specially trained members who train in technical rope rescue through the Justice Institute of British Columbia’s Technical High Angle Rope Rescue Program, specializing in Tower Crane Rescue Operations. All members of the department have fundamental knowledge of our rescue services coupled with their own extensive fire service rope training.
We offer two higher level courses in technical rope rescue that are based on rescue courses offered by Roco Rescue, a North American leader in technical rope rescue training. Our team leaders are all trained in advanced raising and lowering systems and individual rescuing. Our fire hall on Peatt Road, Station No. 1, was designed with a three-story training tower from which we can practice many of our rescue scenarios.
We aim to be quick, highly proficient, adaptable, and caring.
Water Rescue
Within Langford city limits there are three major lakes, numerous open water features, as well as oceanfront property. As such, Langford Fire Rescue has a highly trained and skilled Water Rescue Unit.
Our 18-foot rescue Zodiac watercraft is centrally located at Langford Fire Station No. 3 on Sooke Lake Road. The Zodiac is equipped with a through-the-hull pump that produces 100 gallons a minute at 100 psi. The watercraft also has a front-mounted monitor for extinguishing small fires on the sea or lakeshore that are not easily accessible by land.
Firefighters are trained in the operation of the Zodiac and in water rescue techniques. In addition to the Zodiac, we have other essential water rescue equipment: cold water wet suits, masks, fins, and rope bags.
Our Water Rescue Unit also aids neighboring municipalities, West Shore RCMP and BC Ambulance Service in water rescue emergencies.
Education Materials and Services
Langford Fire Rescue is committed to working with our community to develop and deliver fire and life safety education programs.
The objective of these programs is to teach the members of our community how to prevent and protect themselves from hazards, with a special focus on fire prevention.
The Langford Fire Rescue Public Education Program features a variety of free information sessions and events, including:
Fire extinguisher training
Kitchen safety sessions at Spencer and Belmont Schools
Fire safety sessions and fire hall tours to preschoolers and children
Yearly fire safety expo for all Grade 4 students within our community
Yearly open house for all members of our community
If you would like to arrange a fire safety session/fire hall tour for your organization, please contact:
The Women’s Auxiliary was established in the early 1950s and was first comprised of firefighters’ wives. They held dances, teas, bake sales, craft sales, etc. to finance the purchase of a variety of furnishings for the Firehall, Communications Centre and the ambulance when it was manned and operated by the Langford Fire Department.
Today, the WA continues to raise funds for equipment, furnishings, family support and an education bursary that is available to LFR members. They also make lunches for the firefighters during weekend training courses or when the firefighters are on a lengthy call and are in need of meals.
Joining the Woman’s Auxiliary
This group is open to all women who would like to be part of an energetic and effective group that contributes to Langford’s growing community in a tangible and rewarding way.
The Women’s Auxiliary meets the second Tuesday of each month (with the exception of July and August), at 7:00 pm at Station 2, located at 3205 Happy Valley Road.
For more information, please contact Langford Fire Rescue at or 250-478-9555.
Fundraising
Funds are raised primarily through the catering of a variety of events for the Fire Department such as:
Lunches for firefighters attending training courses.
Food & beverages at fire and/or emergency scenes as required.
Refreshments at the annual Santa Parade of fire trucks.
Pancakes and hot dogs at the Annual Fire Rescue Open House.
Concessions at various community events.
Sale of various products which are used as fundraisers for non-profit groups.
Recent fundraising procurements include:
Portable Defibrillators
Thermal Imaging Camera
ATV
Firefighting conference in Indiana
Kitchen amenities
Patio furnishings for Station No. 3
Bereavement Fund
Education Bursary Fund
Junior Citizenship Award Trophy
The Women’s Auxiliary sponsors the Junior Citizenship Award Trophy and presents it annually to a deserving student graduating from Belmont Senior Secondary School.
FireSmart
The best time to prepare for wildfire season is now. FireSmart is here to help individuals and communities take small steps to make a big difference.
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