Senate committee report calls for better co-ordination of wildfire response

Canada needs a dedicated national office to coordinate wildfire responses and a new fleet of modern firefighting aircraft, according to a Senate committee report released Wednesday. The report, from the Senate committee on agriculture and forestry, includes 15 recommendations aimed at improving the country's preparedness and reaction to escalating wildfire crises.

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We heard that Canada is the only country in the G7 that does not have a seat at the federal table, more or less, to manage and talk about and co-ordinate fire response.

Senators emphasized the critical need for a single national point of contact for wildfire management. "We heard that Canada is the only country in the G7 that does not have a seat at the federal table, more or less, to manage and talk about and co-ordinate fire response," said committee chair Sen. Mary Robinson. She added that while current efforts are appreciated, "the crisis is growing and escalating, and we need government to do more for sure."

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I think the efforts to date are appreciated but the crisis is growing and escalating, and we need government to do more for sure.

The report argues that the current system, which involves escalations from municipal to provincial and territorial levels before federal assistance is requested, wastes valuable time. "Each escalation and application for assistance also takes precious time at a critical moment when the rapid response is most required," said committee deputy chair Sen. John McNair. He noted that these coordination challenges lead to inconsistent planning, delayed responses, and sporadic access to resources.

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There is nothing that allows co-ordination at the federal level for municipal assets across the country. That’s where this office would make an absolute dramatic difference across the country.

The committee also called for Ottawa to "create and fund a national fleet of modern firefighting aircraft." This recommendation comes as the federal government recently announced it is leasing several air tankers and helicopters for provincial use. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski stated she had not yet reviewed the report but would comment further after reading it.

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Each escalation and application for assistance also takes precious time at a critical moment when the rapid response is most required and those co-ordination challenges directly contribute to inconsistent planning, delayed response times and sporadic access to equipment and personnel.