Fighting For The Community - Mike Williamson
Cumberland is celebrated for being in the centre of some of the most beautiful natural lands on the Island. Bike trails, lakes and mountain skiing are just minutes from downtown.
There are 30 plus members of the Cumberland Fire Rescue, most of whom are volunteers. They service a much larger area than the Village proper. The Comox Valley Management Waste Centre, Bevan Road and the surrounding natural lands, all fall within the jurisdiction of Cumberland Fire Rescue, led by Fire Chief Mike Williamson.
Chief Williamson has been on the job for 48 years and has seen the population of the Village of Cumberland grow. “I think we’re just shy of 5,000 people in the Village now, but the thing we’ve been lacking is business. So the Bevan industrial development is good... good for the community and good for our budget and ability to acquire the type of equipment we need to do our job.”
The Village recently completed the construction of the new fire hall. The 4.2 million dollar building resolves significant operational issues and has the capacity to house modern equipment. The new fire hall coupled with the new Bevan developments adds to the capability of Cumberland Fire Rescue to meet the needs of this growing community.