Instead of sending in the troops to deal with what promises to be another dangerous wildfire season, Public Safety Canada is testing the capabilities of civilian-led first responders and relief providers.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said the new program will be deployed during this wildfire season in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
Sajjan, a former defence minister, added that the Canadian Armed Forces is “not the best resource to deal with a lot of emergencies,” including wildfires.
The federal government is expanding its existing Humanitarian Workforce Program — which supports non-governmental organizations responding to natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies — to support its 2024 wildfire response and other emergency services through pilot programs in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Instead of sending in the troops to deal with what promises to be another dangerous wildfire season, Public Safety Canada is testing the capabilities of civilian-led first responders and relief providers.
Sajjan, a former defence minister, added that the Canadian Armed Forces is “not the best resource to deal with a lot of emergencies,” including wildfires.
The pilot program will involve multiple non-governmental organizations: the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, the Salvation Army, the veteran-led Team Rubicon and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC).
While British Columbia and Alberta experienced favourable spring conditions that led to fewer wildfires and evacuations, federal officials warned the situation could change rapidly.
The military’s top operations commander, Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, has warned that the Armed Forces is being used too often in response to weather and wildfire crises.
In December, he told CBC that he tells provincial emergency measures organizations and federal agencies that the military should not be the first option for responding to natural disasters.
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