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Drone purchase could happen soon in Langford Katie Engqvist News Gazette staff
Arnold Lim/News Gazette staff
Bear Mountain’s mountain bike course designer Jordie Lunn pauses for a photo on Bike Park Avenue, a portion of the public riding trail leading to the bike park. The family friendly facility continues to expand at the resort.
High adventure on two wheels
Tackling Bear Mountain with mountain bike pro Jordie Lunn
Arnold Lim Reporting
dress pants and dress shoes. I throw a hoody over my dress shirt – perhaps I’m not as prepared as I could have been – but there is no turning back. I have been looking forward to this for weeks. Lunn gives my bike a last look, turning a dial on my shocks before we head out. “It’s just an adjustment,” he
says. “It’ll make it a little stiffer for you.” That may be a polite way of saying my 270 lbs. is a little heavy for the bike’s current shock settings, but I don’t say anything as we pedal into Bike Park Avenue for my first taste of the course. PLEASE SEE: New bike course, Page A18
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tand up, bend your knees and keep your feet level.” Mountain bike expert Jordie Lunn balances effortlessly as he demonstrates technique. As a first-time mountain biker, I listen intently as the course designer for Bear Mountain Resort offers up the basics while I look over my
Langford Fire Rescue could be flying its own unmanned aircraft system (UAS) during future rescue and emergency situations. On Tuesday, Langford’s protective services committee unanimously approved a staff recommendation to purchase a UAS – essentially a drone equipped with cameras. The purchase would need council approval. “It saves time, it saves lives and I think it lowers the risk to our personnel,” said Coun. Lillian Szpak, who chairs the committee. Langford is often on the leading edge when it comes to embracing equipment improvements, Szpak said. Langford Fire Rescue was the first on the West Shore to purchase its own jaws of life device, she added, and in the spirit of co-operation has been able to use that technology to aid other municipalities when in dire straits. In August, the committee requested follow-up information to better understand the need for a cameraequipped UAS for emergency services. Fire Chief Bob Beckett and his staff provided an indepth report on the matter. It stated the cost of the equipment, with appropriate cameras, would be $5,000 and five years of operational life could be expected. Training costs for four initial operators are expected to be $2,750 and their training time would exceed the 10-hour minimum on the equipment. The option of hiring a contractor to operate the device was also explored, but the 30- to 90-minute response time was said to not allow incident commanders timely access to critical information in an emergency. The Langford Firefighter’s Women Auxiliary has indicated it is prepared to purchase the unmanned aerial vehicle, while training would be covered by the department’s training budget. Council will consider the recommendation at its Monday, Dec. 7 meeting. katie@goldstreamgazette.com