Canada's professional fire fighters are on the front lines of the battle against climate change

Abstract

Canada's professional fire fighters are on the front lines of the battle against climate change Sean McManus (bio) Climate change is real and Canada's professional fire fighters are on the front lines protecting Canadians from its threats every day. From raging wildfires to devastating floods and severe weather events, climate-driven emergencies are increasing across Canada, putting Canadians' lives and property at increased risk and adding pressure to already-strained fire departments and their personnel. Canada is a country of vibrant, fast-growing cities surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world. In most areas, this means forests that pose the threat of wildfire and lakes and rivers that have the potential to flood; two seemingly opposite dangers that imperil millions of Canadians who live in areas prone to these threats. While cold, snowy winter weather grips the majority of Canada for five months of the year or more, our summers are increasingly hot and dry, with sweltering temperatures and extreme weather events becoming more common, and more severe. Whether it's a wildfire, a flood or any other emergency, unionised professional fire fighters represented by the IAFF are first on scene in 192 cities and towns across Canada. Our 26,000 Canadian members are a highly-skilled and dedicated group of men and women who are their cities' first line of defence against virtually any emergency. As the saying goes, fire fighters are 'who you call when you don't know who to call'. But how prepared are Canada's cities and their fire departments for the growing threats posed by climate-driven disasters, at a time when too many cities fail to meet the NFPA 1710 Standard for safe deployment and too many municipal fire department budgets are already failing to increase in step with population growth and booming construction? If cities are falling behind when it comes to basic fire protection, how prepared are they for large-scale disasters? An IAFF survey of local fire fighter union leaders from 117 urban Canadian fire departments in 2020 revealed a troubling gap in the nation's preparedness against wildfires, focusing on what are called Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas. Our survey found: ■ Almost three quarters of the respondents indicated their fire department's coverage area includes zones in which they would be required to protect structures in the event of a wildland fire. ■ The same number, almost three quarters, indicated their city is growing into, or has the potential to grow into, WUI areas. ■ Almost 63 percent described the quality and amount of WUI-specific response training they have as either poor or none. Only a handful described their training as either good or excellent. ■ Only a quarter of respondents indicated they had received WUI-specific response training in the past two years, and 40 percent have received training within the last five years. Many indicated their last training was more than five years ago, while 32 percent said they have never had any WUI-specific response training at all. Wildfire and the danger it poses to Canadian cities whose suburbs are sprawling into more and more remote areas is a prime example of a growing threat due to climate change, but it's not the only one that needs attention, and resources. Does the answer to better protecting Canadians from climate change disasters lie in advocacy at the municipal level, or should other levels of government-provincial or federal–take lead roles in protecting Canadians from the effects of climate change? These are important questions that need timely answers. The best scenario would be for all levels of government to recognise the need to allocate proper attention– and capital–to mitigating the growing number and severity of climate change disasters in Canada, including a recognition that fire fighters are first responders to climate change disasters and their unions are key stakeholders not just when to comes to fire fighter safety but also public safety, the two going hand in hand. The needs are varied and they include training, resources and increased frontline personnel levels to safely and effectively protect Canadians–and Canada's critical infrastructure-in the climate change era. West Coast...