Paramedics/Fire

Cost of new Nanaimo fire hall rises significantly to $20 million

NANAIMO - COVID-19 and vastly underestimated size requirements are factors substantially driving up the cost of replacing the #1 fire hall in downtown Nanaimo.A City staff reported the lowest tender p...

Jun 17, 2020

Strategy shift allowing Nanaimo Fire Rescue to focus on serious calls, advanced training

NANAIMO - Call-outs for Nanaimo Fire Rescue are dropping after a change to the way medical aid emergencies are handled. In May 2018, the province shifted to a streamlined method handling emergency res...

Jun 10, 2020

'It was a substantial distance:' Nanaimo area man seriously injured in fall on Mt. Arrowsmith

NANAIMO - An estimated 60 metre fall on slippery rocks and hardened snow near Mt. Arrowsmith's summit sent a hiker to hospital with significant head injuries. Alberni Valley Rescue Squad search manage...

Jun 07, 2020

One dead in fatal ATV accident near Nanaimo Lakes Rd.

NANAIMO - A weekend ATV accident has claimed the life of one man near Nanaimo on Friday, May 29.According to Nanaimo RCMP, the 33 year old man from Cobble Hill was critically injured around 9:30 p.m.,...

May 31, 2020

Pedestrian in Cedar seriously injured after being hit by truck

NANAIMO - Police say a man was sent to Nanaimo Hospital following an unsuccessful attempt to cross Cedar Rd. late Sunday evening.RCMP Cst. Gary O'Brien said it happened at 10:30 p.m. near the Cedar Ge...

May 19, 2020

Fire damages fishing vessel at French Creek Marina

FRENCH CREEK - Quick action from fire crews helped minimize damage to a boat at the French Creek Marina. Parksville Fire Department Chief Marc Norris told NanaimoNewsNOW the blaze started just before ...

May 18, 2020

Nanaimo woman suffers significant injuries in evening crash

NANAIMO - A young woman sustained significant injuries following a crash near the Serauxman Sports Fields.Nanaimo RCMP and Fire Rescue responded around 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 to the intersecti...

Apr 29, 2020 A motorist went off-road on Third St. near the Buttertubs Marsh parking lot. The driver and lone occupant suffered significant injuries in the crash. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

'They were fortunate:' damage minimized in north Nanaimo house fire

NANAIMO - A north Nanaimo couple is fortunate a smouldering fire damaging their living room carpet didn't become more serious.Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) responded to the Groveland Dr. home near Inverme...

Apr 22, 2020 A smouldering fire on Groveland Dr. in Nanaimo on Tuesday, April 21 was contained to the living room after the homeowners noticed smoke while returning from a walk. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Injured dirt bike rider north of Qualicum leads to lengthy rescue

PARKSVILLE - A long and exhausting rescue of a dirt biker with a shattered leg underscores the challenges SAR teams are facing during a health pandemic.Arrowsmith SAR president Nick Rivers said 30 of ...

Apr 21, 2020 Arrowsmith SAR and paramedics wait at the trailhead for an injured dirt bike rider near an expansive trail network in the Cook Creek area on Sunday, April 19. (Arrowsmith SAR)

Large grass fire quickly knocked down in Parksville, no structures impacted

PARKSVILLE - Good fortune aided crews in snuffing out an overnight grass fire on public property in Parksville.Marc Norris, Parksville Volunteer Fire Dept. chief, said a 75 by 100 foot chunk of land i...

Apr 16, 2020 Flames and smokes billow up into the sky after a fire hits the Parksville Wetlands off the north end of Hirst Ave at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 16. (Parksville Volunteer Fire Dept.)