This presentation looks at firefighting in Canada. Presentation will also touch base on cost issues related to municipal budgets.

1. Mutual Aid and
Firefighting - Canada -
June 2017
By: Paul Young, CPA, CGA

2. Paul Young - Bio
• CPA, CGA
• Financial Solutions
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Supply Chain Management
• SME – Business Strategy and Restructuring
Contact information:
Paul_Young_CGA@Hotmail.com

3. Agenda
• What is Mutual Aid
• How are Forest Fighter Deployed from Other Provinces
• How is the Military Deployed for Natural Disaster

4. Fire event
Fort Macmurray Fir Service
The highly qualified professionals of the Fort McMurray
Fire Department possess a minimal qualification of
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), fire training
certification meeting North American (NFPA) standards,
and are registered members with the Alberta College of
Paramedics (ACP) and members of the International Fire
Fighting Association Local 2494 (IAFF). The Fort
McMurray Fire Department operates with over 130
qualified Fire Fighters, EMT’s and Paramedics that are
dedicated to offering timely and accurate first
response.

5. Fire Department alarm system
• Fire Department response to fires
– Fire Captain assesses the situation
– Fire is large then more manpower equipment are called in to fight the fire
– Brush Fire
– Industrial Fire
– Departments
– Composite (Full-time and Volunteer)

6. Mutual Aid
• The Mutual Aid System is a no-charge reciprocal system of emergency
response and assistance that towns, villages and municipalities in
Provinces can access through their local fire departments.
• The main focus of the Mutual Aid System is to make a large number of
resources available in a pre-arranged, organized fashion at no additional
cost to the town, village or municipality requiring assistance during a
large- scale emergency situation.
• Mutual Aid is activated when the fire or emergency is beyond the
capability of the responding fire department, or there are more fire calls or
emergencies than the local fire department can respond to. For example,
if a fire in your community was too large for your local fire department to
handle alone, Mutual Aid could be called upon for additional equipment
and personnel. The same would apply if a tanker or train carrying
dangerous goods was involved in an accident.

7. Forest Management/Forest Fire Fighting
• The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) provides
operational wildland fire-control services, as well as management and
information services to its Member Agencies. In addition to coordinating
services for all of the provinces, territories and the federal fire
management agencies, CIFFC often coordinates the sharing of resources
with the United States and other countries.
– Funding - Funding for the Centre is as unique as its management systems. The
Federal government contributes one-third of the Centre's operating costs. The
remaining two-thirds is funded by the provinces and territories on the basis of
their inventoried productive forest land. British Columbia, for example, with large
tracts of forest, pays 17% of the two-thirds while Prince Edward Island pays only
0.1%.
– Provinces have to make requests for help. Availability of resources can be based
on current fire situation in each province.
•

8. Canadian Forces / Natural Disaster
• Prime Minister provides the order based on requirement of the
province/territory for help
– Equipment/resources are deployed

9. Issues at hands
– Many provinces have cut forest management budgets
– Building of industrial/residential properties deep in the woods
– Evacuations
– Lesson Learned
– Large Brush Fires/Urban Areas
– What can be done to mitigate future losses
– Response time is key to fighting fires
– Command Centers
– Coordination and positioning of Fire Fighters
– Protecting key infrastructure
– Control burns/Fire Breaks
– Water Bombarding

10. Firefighting Costs
• Ontario has never fixed its arbitration process -
http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/the-ontario-laws-that-
force-cities-to-keep-spending-more-on-unionized-workers
•
• Firefighting Costs
• http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/10/29/confusion-swirls-over-
impact-of-fire-service-cutbacks or
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2017/01/17/owen-sound-
aims-to-stem-fire-costs

11. Union Letter / OPFF
• http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2014/06/04/firefighters-union-issues-anti-hudak-letter
• Firefighting costs are pay by
the municipality and not
provincial government
• 98% of a municipal budget
comes through user fees
and property taxation
• Public Safety costs are big
part of municipal budgets