OTTAWA,
ON, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Emergency Preparedness
Week serves as a reminder to know the risks, plan for them, and
act.
The Government of Canada is
committed to providing Canadians with the information they need
about climate change and its impact on everyday life. Wildfires in
Canada are increasingly
large-scale events and threaten the health, safety, and economic
stability of Canadians.
Today, Minister Harjit S. Sajjan,
President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness,
with Parliamentary Secretary, Sherry
Romanado, Minister Jonathan
Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and
Minister Steven Guilbeault, Minister
of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for
Parks Canada, convened to share with Canadians the latest
assessment of the 2024 wildfire season and the state of federal
preparedness.
Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) meteorologists
continue to predict weather conditions for spring and summer 2024
that could lead to greater wildfire risks. As we can expect with
climate change, most parts of Canada have experienced warmer and drier
spring conditions so far, with the added influence this year of El
Niño. Drought conditions are expected to persist in high-risk
regions in May, including the southern regions of the prairie and
western provinces. ECCC is forecasting continued above-normal
temperatures nationwide for the spring and summer period. Such
conditions exacerbate the risk and intensity of both natural and
human-caused wildfires.
In addition, Minister Sajjan highlighted efforts to bolster
response capabilities for the 2024 wildfire season under the
Humanitarian Workforce Program (HWF).
This initiative will test and strengthen the capabilities of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—including Canadian Red Cross,
St. John Ambulance, The Salvation Army, and the Search and Rescue
Volunteer Association of Canada
(SARVAC)—to ensure they can mobilize and rapidly deploy emergency
responders and relief supplies to support Canadians in times of
need. The initiative will focus on the needs of at-risk
communities, with an initial focus on British Columbia and Northwest Territories.
Additionally, Minister Sajjan announced today the intention to
work towards including the veteran-led humanitarian NGO, Team
Rubicon, in the HWF program to increase the program's urgent
response capacity.
Building from lessons learned during the 2023 wildfire season,
Public Safety Canada is working closely with the NGOs funded under
the HWF program and provincial and territorial governments to
identify needs and establish innovative ways to facilitate the
rapid deployment of resources and respond to an emergency. As part
of this initiative, NGOs will carry out activities which could help
reduce response time and enhance planning and training that will
include local organizations.
To counter the growing threat of wildfires in Canada, the federal government will continue
to support provinces and territories in wildfire mitigation,
response, and monitoring. Today, NRCan announced up to $1.2 million for the Canadian Interagency Forest
Centre to expand the Centre's wildfire prevention and
mitigation capacity. This investment will also enhance and expand
the adoption of FireSmart Canada, a program funded through the
Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative (WRFI), in collaboration
with provinces and territories. The WRFI invests in new programs
and activities to reduce wildland fire risk in our communities and
landscapes.
Health Canada and the Public
Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are
working with partners to help people in Canada manage the health risks from wildfires.
This includes providing information and public health guidance
relating to air pollution created by wildfire smoke, what to do if
wildfires are occurring along with extreme heat, and the mental
health impacts that may result from wildfires. For example, during
wildfire smoke events, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
reports on air quality on a scale from 1 to 10+ and provides
relevant health messages to help people make informed decisions to
protect their health and the health of their loved ones.
In addition, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of
Canada are working alongside
jurisdictions to provide technical expertise, health guidance, air
quality monitoring assistance, and advice for establishing cleaner
air spaces when air quality is poor. The Public Health Agency of
Canada also stands ready to
support impacted jurisdictions upon request, with the delivery of
essential medical equipment and supplies through the National
Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) and public health-related
assistance during evacuations.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) continues to work alongside
First Nations to support the health, safety and well-being of their
communities. As announced in Budget 2024, ISC proposes to allocate
$57.2 million over five years to
renew and expand ISC's FireSmart program to directly support First
Nation communities and other eligible recipients with resources and
preventative measures, especially those located in high-risk areas.
We are also doing things differently this year by offering advance
payments to all communities so they can prepare earlier and
incorporate traditional knowledge in our strategies. We are also
going forward with a pilot project in Alberta to fund Emergency Management
Coordinators in all 48 communities.
We all have a part in preparing for the potential impact of
wildfires in our communities. The Government of Canada, like our emergency management partners
in all levels of government, non-government organizations,
Indigenous Leaders and the private sector, has heightened our
awareness of the risks and has taken steps to increase our
preparedness. Our focus is on the health, safety and security of
Canadians. We are making sure we have the capacity to support
provinces and territories and mobilize resources when they are
needed for the 2024 wildfire season.
Quotes
"Our climate is changing and with every passing year, we
experience more extreme weather events. Now, more than ever, we
need greater collaboration among us. The Emergency Preparedness
Week theme of Be Prepared. Know your risks. applies to
all of us, as individuals, communities, and organizations. I can
assure Canadians that even as climate change affects the world
around us, we are adapting and working together so we can respond
to whatever happens. I am pleased to be working with colleagues in
national emergency management NGOs to improve our readiness to
respond across the country. Together, we will continue to adapt and
reinforce the emergency response system."
- The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy
Council for Canada, Minister of
Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific
Economic Development Agency of Canada
"Last year, Canadians experienced the most destructive forest
fire season in our nation's history, and we know that climate
change has been a root cause of their increased frequency and
intensity. The federal government has been urgently working to
prepare Canada for wildfires in
2024, including through an announcement today of $1.2 million in funding via the Wildfire
Resilient Futures Initiative for the Canadian Interagency Forest
Fire Centre to expand the adoption of FireSmart. This investment
builds on hundreds of millions of dollars we have invested in
the past two years towards equipment and training for firefighters.
Since last year alone, $22.5 million
has flowed through the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a
Changing Climate (FMWCC) program to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova
Scotia, Prince Edward
Island, the Northwest
Territories and Yukon, and
this is just the beginning of our work with provinces and
territories to bolster procurement of lifesaving equipment and
personnel through the FMWCC and FireSmart programs. By working with
partners across the country, we are building skills, supporting
scientific research, and helping firefighters prepare not only for
the 2024 season, but for a future where the impact of climate
change on the severity of wildfires is increasingly obvious."
- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources
"The prospect of another active wildfire season simply drives
the point home: we must take more action to combat and mitigate
climate change and adapt to its very real and costly impacts. This
is not a future problem. It is here now. Together - Canadians,
communities, Indigenous peoples, organizations, utilities,
businesses and governments - have the opportunity to work hand in
hand, to deal with the climate crisis we see unfolding right before
our eyes."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and
Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
"Wildfires can have significant negative impacts on our physical
and mental well-being, even when they are burning thousands of
kilometres away from us. So many Canadians experienced this
first-hand last year, with cities across the country blanketed in
hazardous smoke. With the 2024 wildfire season approaching, our
government is ensuring that people in Canada have the tools and information they
need to understand and manage the health risks associated with
wildfires."
– The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health Canada
"Because of climate change, the 2023 wildfire season was the
most devastating ever recorded. This season could yet again
historically affect First Nations, as they are living first-hand
the impacts of climate change. We have already seen a first
community being evacuated in April, which is notably early in the
season. We will be by First Nations' side as they prepare for, face
and recover from wildfires."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services
and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development
Agency for Northern Ontario
Quick facts
- The Government of Canada
Wildfires 2024 web page includes information about programs,
policies and initiatives to keep Canadians informed about the
wildfire situation and to support provincial and territorial
efforts to combat wildfires.
- In Canada, emergencies are
managed first at the local level: hospitals, fire departments,
police and municipalities. If they need assistance at the local
level, they request it from their province or territory. If an
emergency escalates beyond the capabilities of a province or
territory, they can seek assistance from the federal government by
submitting a request for federal assistance (RFA).
- The Government Operations Centre (GOC), on behalf of the
Government of Canada, is the lead
for federal response coordination for emergency events affecting
the national interest. The GOC has activated a wildfires response
team to level 1: enhanced reporting. The GOC works in close
collaboration with federal organizations, non-governmental
organizations and provincial emergency management partners to:
- Coordinate whole of government response and preparedness.
- Provide 24/7 information on a wide range of risks that could
affect the safety and security of Canadians at home or abroad.
- Provide senior decision makers and partners with national level
understanding of events so each of them can deliver on their
mandate.
- Ensure federal readiness to respond, including
interdepartmental consultation and coordination of federal
assets.
- Parks Canada manages and
responds to wildfire in national parks with nearly 200 wildland
firefighters and 100 incident management specialists who are
trained to respond to wildfires and can manage all elements of
complex incidents. Parks Canada
collaborates with other jurisdictions and can provide equipment and
firefighters when help is needed across the country and
internationally.
- To access the latest weather, forecast and alert information
Canadians can download the WeatherCAN app and get notifications
wherever they are in Canada.
- To help people in Canada adapt
to climate change and extreme weather, the Government of
Canada has developed the National
Adaptation Strategy with provincial and territorial governments,
Indigenous partners, the private sector, non-governmental
organizations, adaptation experts, and youth.
- The National Adaptation Strategy is a whole-of-society
blueprint to reduce the risk of climate-related disasters, improve
health outcomes, protect nature and biodiversity, build and
maintain resilient infrastructure, and support a strong economy and
workers.
- The long-range outlook for wildland fire activity is difficult
to forecast early in the season and specific fire activity cannot
be predicted. Instead, seasonal forecasts help identify areas that
are at increased risk. The certainty of these projections will
increase as we move towards the summer months. These forecasts
anticipate risk and are not predictors of actual fire activity.
- Government of Canada analysis
shows that climate-related impacts are costing average Canadian
households $720 per year today and
will rise to around $2,000 per year
by 2050. In 2023, Canada's severe
weather caused over $3.1 billion in
insured damages.
- Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is providing funding for
preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery through the
Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP). EMAP reimburses
First Nations, provinces and territories and third-party emergency
management providers 100 percent of eligible response and recovery
costs, including evacuation costs.
Associated links
- Wildfires 2024
- Wildfire smoke, air quality and your health
- FireSmart Canada
- Wildfires (getprepared.gc.ca)
- Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative
- Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre
- Canada's National Adaptation
Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada