Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service

By Dylana Kneeshaw

Cooperative Community Wildfire Response

One month left for community response organizations to apply for grant-funded wildfire training and PPE

Mar 18, 2025 | 4:58 PM

KAMLOOPS — There’s about one month left in the application window for community groups looking to receive wildland firefighting training and supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

It’s part of a Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) pilot program the Thompson Nicola Regional District is facilitating, using provincial grant money to pay for the courses and equipment. The idea is to support Community Emergency Response Organizations in areas that aren’t covered by a structural fire protection service.

According to the TNRD’s general manager of operations, Jamie Vieira, interest is growing from community organizations looking to get certified. This year’s grant money will pay for training and outfitting residents to answer a call from the BC Wildfire Service.

“We already have confirmed, I think eight interested community groups that have come forward and we’re processing those applications,” says Vieira.

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The Cooperative Community Wildfire Response Program Grant will see $100,000 divided into $10,000 increments for each group to take firefighting courses and be supplied with protective gear.

“It’s basically two days worth of training. It’s the S100 and S185 course, and then it’s the basic PPE — fire resistant clothing, gloves, hardhat, boots,” adds Vieira.

The courses and equipment paid for by the grant do not give people the authority to go out and start fighting fires and do not authorize suppression efforts without the presence or supervision of BC Wildfire Service staff, but they do give community groups base level qualifications to be contracted by the BC Wildfire Service.

“An example of that is what happened in 2023 with the group in Knutsford that engaged with BC Wildfire. In that scenario, as well as what happened last year with the Venables Valley group, they both were getting training while the fire was literally burning in their backyard,” says Vieira. “The idea with this program is they can take that training ahead of time to be prepared in case that happens.”

According to the BC Wildfire Service manager of provincial operations-preparedness, Kaitlin Baskerville, that kind of local knowledge has been useful.

“In 2024, we pre-organized roughly 21 groups across the province, which consisted of approximately 430 rural and remote community response members. Last year, we did engage four of those groups in some response efforts,” she explains. “Where these groups can really play a role is in low complexity response efforts such as mop up, expediting resources and assisting with our efforts on the ground.”

Baskerville says the model has been used for several years and it’s become an important way for the BC Wildfire Service to quickly activate a certified group.

“What we want to continue to do is make sure everything is done in terms of training and PPE so that when a fire does start and there is safe and viable work to engage these community members in that, we can do so quickly,” adds Baskerville. “That there’s no delay and we’re not waiting to provide that training on the ground in a time of crisis, and we’re just ready to go.”

Applications are open now until April 15 and the TNRD says training courses will get underway in April and May.