The Lance Caven Fire & Life Safety Expo runs April 16 and 17 at Metchosin Elementary School.
Each year, several fire departments, in conjunction with FireSmart, West Shore RCMP, City of Langford Bylaw and ICBC, partner to collectively educate all Grade 4 students in the Sooke School District 62 and other local schools on valuable and life-saving information.
Over the past 25 years, approximately 20,000 students have attended the expo, with another 1,000 estimated to attend in 2024.
This year, the expo has been officially renamed in honour of Langford fire rescue assistant chief and fire prevention officer Lance Caven, who died in 2023 after a battle with work-related cancer.
Caven was instrumental in bringing the Fire and Life Safety Expo to the West Shore and participated in the event annually. He will be honoured and remembered at the event.
“Lance dedicated his life to preventing fires and saving lives, and he is remembered for his love and passion for firefighting and fire prevention,” the City of Langford said in a press release.
Attendees to this week’s expo include participating city councils, School District #62 superintendent Paul Block, retired fire department members, and Chief Russ Chipps and Brother Rick of Beecher Bay (SC’IANEW) First Nation who will provide the traditional territory welcome.
Retired Langford fire chief and humanitarian Bob Beckett will attend on behalf of Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar and present a certificate to the expo organizers on behalf of MLA Parmar. Langford fire chief Chris Aubrey and City of Langford employee and long-time expo coordinator Tammy Yhde-Riis will provide the opening remarks.
The Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Highlands, Sooke, and CFB Esquimalt fire departments are all participating this year.
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