The City of Fort St. John has signed off on a new long-term fire protection deal with BC Hydro that will see the municipality continue providing emergency response services to one of the province’s key energy sites.
City council endorsed a $75,000 annual Fire Protection Agreement at its June 22 meeting, authorizing the mayor and corporate officer to execute the contract with BC Hydro.
According to a staff report, the agreement formalizes a service arrangement that has been in place since 2018, when the city first began providing fire protection and emergency response support to the Site C project under a series of short-term agreements and extensions.
Those temporary arrangements were used to maintain consistent coverage through the project’s construction phase and its transition toward operations.
With the facility now moving into a more permanent operational stage, city staff say a longer-term contract was needed to replace the rolling extensions with a single comprehensive agreement.
The new deal sets out a formal framework for fire protection services covering BC Hydro infrastructure, including the John Horgan Generating Station, associated facilities, and ongoing construction activity such as the Cultural Centre project.
It also outlines the scope of services, establishes a cost-recovery model, and updates contract language to reflect current operational best practices.
City officials said the arrangement is intended to provide greater certainty for both parties, reduce administrative back-and-forth, and ensure uninterrupted emergency response coverage for critical provincial infrastructure in the region.
Under the three-year agreement, the city will receive $75,000 annually, along with additional response fees based on BC Inter-Agency Operational Procedures and reimbursement rates.
The staff report notes the agreement also provides financial benefits for BC Hydro, offering a more cost-effective option than establishing and maintaining a standalone fire response service at the site.
For the city, officials said it represents a steady revenue stream while formalizing a service relationship that has already been operating in practice for several years.
