Premier David Eby in Kamloops, April 4, 2024 (Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Strengthening our wildfire training

Apr 17, 2024 | 10:30 AM

LAST SUMMER, B.C. saw its most devastating wildfire season on record. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate from their homes, disrupting lives and communities. As the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate, I think it’s clear to all of us that we need to take bold steps to keep people safe, protect homes, and reduce risks of future disasters.

Earlier this month while in Kamloops, Premier Eby announced 31 recommendations to address these needs and make our province stronger and safer for all of us, stemming from the Premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies. These recommendations focus on broad themes such as better intelligence about fires, collaboration with nations, community involvement, and operational versatility. One key theme was shared training, and the opportunity to provide more people with the skills and knowledge to keep us safe.

Given this, we are establishing a dedicated wildfire training and education centre at Thompson Rivers University so we can train more firefighters to help protect our communities. This first-of-its-kind program in North America is a partnership between TRU and the BC Wildfire Service that will help improve emergency response and keep more people and communities safe.

The new firefighter training program will begin enrolling students in 2025, and by 2028/29 will offer over 1000 workshops per year with an anticipated 10,000 course registrations.

The new centre will build on the excellent work already happening at TRU, including leading-edge science and research on wildfire management. TRU has emerged as both a provincial and North American leader in improving how we deal with wildfires. Our government is proud to work closely alongside TRU to bring this new program forward.

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In addition to this new training program, the Expert Task Force provided real-time, action-oriented advice in 30 other areas, and we are already taking action to implement their recommendations.

For example, we’re enhancing the use of wildfire behaviour predictive technology, so that our skilled wildfire fighters can better understand how fires will move and grow, and make critical decisions faster when it matters most. We’re strengthening coordination and communication with local governments, First Nations, and local fire departments. We are defining clear pathways for organized and trained local people to play a greater role in wildfire preparedness and response while staying safe. To make sure people have the information they need, we are improving the ways we share timely and accessible information about evacuation orders and alerts.

The last few years have included some huge wildfire challenges for communities like Kamloops. Our government is taking action to keep you, your loved ones, and your communities safe and supported in the face of disasters and emergencies. We know how difficult it’s been. We are proud to support our firefighters who bravely protect our province, and we will continue to deliver more actions so they can do this vital work for all of us.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.