Each year, several fire departments - including Sooke Fire Rescue, 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.
Councillor Dana Lajeunesse attended this morning's event, on behalf of the District of Sooke Council, as the event was renamed in honour of fallen firefighter and event co-founder Laven Caven to The Lance Caven Fire & Life Safety Expo.
Over the past 25 years, approximately 20,000 students have attended the expo, with another 1,000 estimated to attend in 2024. The 2024 event runs April 16 and 17 at Metchosin Elementary School.
City of Langford Assistant Chief Lance Caven passed in March 2023 after a valiant battle with cancer. AC Caven dedicated 30 years of his life to serving the Langford community. He joined the fire service, starting as a volunteer in 1991, stepping into a career position in 2002, and finally as Assistant Chief since 2017. He dedicated his life to preventing fires, and saving lives and is remembered for his love and passion for firefighting and fire prevention.