Parliamentary Committee Notes: NRCan-CFS Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate
Issue
Investments made in Alberta and other provinces under the Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate (FMWCC) program, the Provincial/Territorial Equipment Fund and the Alberta Equipment Project.
FMWCC Training Fund
- Starting in 2022-23, Budget 2022 announced $28 million in contribution funding for the FMWCC Training Fund. Under this program, the Government of Canada will provide funding to train 1,000 firefighters to help reduce the risks of wildfires and support community-based capacity to mitigate, prepare and respond to wildfires on an ongoing basis.
- A 2-year Pilot phase ended in 2023-24 and supported ten projects, representing a total investment of $8.2M which enabled the training of 617 firefighters and 116 fire guardians. The Pilot largely supported projects from Indigenous entities. Of the ten 2-year pilot projects, no Proponents were located in Alberta.
- Informed by the Pilot, NRCan launched a national Open Call for Applications that closed on February 1, 2024. The call prioritized Indigenous applicants and projects that demonstrate a clear benefit to Indigenous communities, which face disproportionate climate impacts relating to wildfires.
- A total of 147 applications were received representing $119.1M in funding requests. With only $16.8M available over 3 years starting in 2024-25, the demand far exceeded the available budget and decisions were challenging.
- NRCan is currently working with 31 successful applicants from across the country - [REDACTED] - to develop agreements. More specific information will be available once agreements are finalized. It is anticipated that the number of participants will meet, if not exceed, the ministerial commitment to train 1,000 firefighters across the country.
FMWCC Equipment Fund
- Budget 2022 announced contribution investments of $256M for the Equipment Fund under the FMWCC program to support PTs (except for Nunavut as they do not have a wildfire program) in the procurement of specialized firefighting equipment.
- Types of equipment PTs have prioritized includes but is not limited to: the repair of aging equipment, vehicles, mobile units, hoses, pumps, enhanced communications equipment, and training. Additional planned purchases in the aviation sector include but are not limited to new and used/refurbished aircraft purchases, upgrades, and contracted aircraft services.
- A large portion of this equipment has been shared across jurisdictions through a national exchange program, enhancing collaboration in wildfire response efforts. Much of this equipment has already been deployed to fight wildfires in 2023 and 2024, with a significant amount designated for use in the coming year.
- The Equipment Fund is cost-shared with provinces (50 NRCan/50 province) and territories (75 NRCan/25 territories). In just under two years, the Equipment Fund has entered into multiyear cost-shared agreements with all twelve jurisdictional fire agencies. To date, NRCan has committed $254.3M to PTs through the Equipment Fund, with $28.8M to Alberta.
Alberta Equipment Project
- Through the FMWCC Equipment Fund, Alberta has signed a 5-year agreement with a total project cost of $57.6M, where the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are each contributing $28.8M.
- This funding is supporting Alberta's efforts to purchase key wildland firefighting equipment as well as hire and train key personnel to enhance provincial readiness and capacity to prepare for and respond to wildland fires.
- Thus far, Alberta has purchased aircraft parts, general wildfire equipment including pumps and hoses, and telecommunications equipment such as radios and transmitters, and has invested in better predictive services.
- The agreement was announced on August 1, 2024.
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