Archived - First Nations Fire Protection Strategy 2010-2015

Fire losses (deaths, injuries and destruction of property) in First Nation communities, particularly those on remote First Nations lands, far exceed those in comparable off-reserve communities. The First Nations per capita fire incidence rate is 2.4 times the per-capita rate for the rest of Canada.  The death rate is 10.4 times greater; the fire injury rate is 2.5 times greater; and the fire damage per unit is 2.1 times greater  [Note 1].

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) is committed to assisting First Nations in providing community services on-reserve comparable to the levels of service that would generally be available to other communities of similar size, location and circumstances. The department provides on average approximately $15 million annually in core capital funding to First Nations for fire protection services on- reserve such as fire halls, fire trucks and fire protection equipment as well as training for firefighters.  In addition, INAC has provided on average $200,000 annually since 2008 to support the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada (AFAC) in carrying out a number of fire prevention activities, including the National Fire Safety Poster Contest for school-age children and the National Aboriginal Firefighters Competition.

Despite these investments, there is need for greater action on fire protection.  Currently, fire protection activities are completed on an ad-hoc basis and lack an overall vision and coordinated approach within and between departments and regions.  There is an opportunity to align the individual effort of the many stakeholders involved in fire protection in First Nation communities and to expand on the successes that have been accomplished to date.  There is also an opportunity to address gaps that exist in the current system, such as an absence of fire chiefs in many First Nation communities to coordinate fire prevention activities such as fire safety education, firefighter recruitment and retention, training, inspections and reporting, as well as a lack of regulations/standards and associated compliance mechanisms.

In an effort to provide better fire protection for First Nation communities, reduce fire losses, and extend the life cycle of community infrastructure assets, INAC, AFAC, and a number of First Nation regional organizations have agreed to collaborate. The following fire protection strategy has been developed based on joint work undertaken with stakeholders, and notably at a strategic planning workshop held on January 22, 2009 at Westbank First Nation in British Columbia.

The strategy focuses on fire protection in on-reserve communities; however, it also forms linkages between First Nation populations and national and regional firefighter associations and promotes the development of municipal service agreements between on and off-reserve communities.

For the purposes of this strategy, the term "fire protection" encompasses the following areas and activities: fire prevention (includes prevention of interface/forest fires and carbon monoxide poisoning); education and outreach; inspections and investigations; maintenance; suppression; training; and engineering.

The strategy presented here outlines overall goals, priorities and activities for the short-term (1-2 years), medium-term (3-4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond).  Initial emphasis is on activities that will generate the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time, such as fire protection education and awareness, fire safety inspections, and insurance of assets.  Mid-term and longer term activities will consider options to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve. Further, this strategy focuses on the appropriate means of fire protection in light of such factors as community size and remoteness. It also emphasizes a risk based approach, starting with a gap analysis in the short-term to identify communities at greatest risk, which will serve to guide resource investments and maximize results.

The goals of this strategy can be realized only through close coordination with other partners. Accordingly, it is important for INAC, AFAC and regional First Nation partner organizations to develop a community of practice with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and improved communication and information sharing between partners. Partners may include: other government departments such as Human Resources and Skills Development Canada – Labour Program (HRSDC), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Health Canada, Public Safety Canada, municipal fire departments, provincial ministries for Aboriginal Affairs and provincial fire marshals; provincial/territorial fire associations; regional First Nation firefighter organizations and technical organizations; the First Nations National Building Officers' Association; the Assembly of First Nations and First Nation Provincial/Territorial Organizations; and Chiefs, Councils and First Nation communities.  Specifically, this strategy strives for the streamlining of roles and clarification of responsibilities for fire protection wherever possible in order to avoid gaps and ambiguities.

The strategy that follows details a comprehensive series of fire protection activities aimed at reducing the number of lives lost, the rate of injuries, and property losses in First Nation communities.  It will be reviewed regularly by a yet to be established working group of key partners and evolve as required to ensure that the overall goals and priorities are targeted, measureable, and responsive to community needs. Progress will be measured and evaluated through the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program Performance Measurement Strategy.

Roles and Responsibilities

At present, a host of different actors are involved in fire protection. The firefighting itself is done primarily by First Nation volunteer firefighters and in some cases paid firefighters. Adjacent communities may share fire protection services with First Nation communities where municipal service agreements are in place. Fire investigations are conducted by First Nations fire chiefs and provincial fire marshals. Training involves provincial fire marshals as well as INAC, training colleges, Tribal Councils and regional First Nation fire associations. For buildings on-reserve, there is currently a regulatory gap where no inspection requirement or role is mandated.  HRSDC conducts inspections of schools and public buildings, leaving individual First Nations responsible for inspections of commercial buildings. The maintenance of fire protection equipment and facilities is managed by individual First Nations. Tribal Councils provide firefighter training and also offer technical advice on both construction and fire protection. The organizations involved in fire prevention and awareness include: regional and provincial First Nations firefighter associations; AFAC; Tribal Councils; provincial fire marshals; Provincial/Territorial Ministries of Aboriginal Affairs; INAC; and fire departments of individual First Nations.

This strategy is dependent on the involvement of Tribal Councils, Chiefs and Councils, and regional First Nation firefighter associations, and strives to enhance First Nation capacity. Below is a summary of the current roles and responsibilities of key partners. It is important to note that roles and responsibilities may vary somewhat according to region and will be further clarified through working group discussions.

Given the wide variety of actors and potential for gaps and overlapping roles, it is inevitable that some ambiguities of responsibility will exist. Accordingly, this strategy must promote the following changes to the existing roles:

• improved coordination of various departments of the federal government;
• improved coordination between regional service providers and INAC;
• strengthened inspection role with greater involvement of regional First Nation organizations;
• enhanced partnerships with provincial fire marshals;
• increased involvement of Chief and Council in ensuring sound building construction and the implementation of fire protection practices; and
• clarification of roles to cover areas where gaps exist.

Guiding principles

INAC, AFAC and regional First Nation organizations have contributed to the formation of this strategy. Together they will seek to establish an effective community of practice for fire protection through regular forums and information sharing activities. It is therefore crucial that these organizations affirm certain shared values or operative principles. These are:

• openness to sharing ideas and success stories;
• mutual respect of all parties and for one another;
• transparency of operations; and
• solid commitment to risk management.

Overall Goals

Fire-related deaths on-reserve are, according to available data, at least 10 times higher than off-reserve [Note 2]. With responsibility over fire protection falling to individual First Nations, fire inspection regimes are not uniform and vary from community to communitFurther, the guidelines adopted in the terms and conditions of funding arrangements are not always followed and there is currently no compliance mechanism in place. This fire protection strategy is intended to address this situation by meeting the following overall goals:

1. Through awareness campaigns, reduce fire-related deaths, injuries, and infrastructure damage to levels comparable to those in the rest of Canada.
   
   
2. Develop mechanisms to support the provision of fire protection services in all First Nation communities that are effective and meet the standard enjoyed by comparable communities in the rest of Canada.
   
   
3. By referencing/adapting existing federal and provincial guidelines, establish mandatory standards for fire safety, fire equipment maintenance and inspections that:
   
   • apply to all First Nations in Canada.
   • are as stringent as any applied in comparable communities off-reserve; and
   • are routinely monitored and enforced through a compliance mechanism.
     
     
4. Ensure coordinated and continued commitment to fire protection in First Nation communities and the elimination of gaps in inspections, equipment maintenance and fire safety measures.

A number of challenges and opportunities associated with obtaining the goals outlined in this strategy have been identified through discussions with stakeholders as summarized below.

Challenges

• unenforceable standards stemming from the absence of a regulatory regime;
  
  
• a deficient inspection regime with inconsistent follow-up and compliance;
  
  
• multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities and mandates and differing cultural viewpoints and languages, making communication a challenge;
  
  
• gaps and overlaps in fire protection roles and responsibilities;
  
  
• a lack of transparency and accountability in relation to fire protection funding;
  
  
• the need for an evaluation of First Nations fire protection infrastructure and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding requirements;
  
  
• uncertainty concerning the number of First Nations with fire protection strategies and emergency response plans;
  
  
• the diversity of First Nation capacity and size/location means no one model fits all;
  
  
• training, retention, and recruitment of firefighters and inspectors is difficult without remuneration and given the migration of young people seeking opportunities outside of small communities; and
  
  
• in some cases, there is a limited awareness of risk and sense of ownership to address the issue of fire protection within First Nation communities (both leadership and citizens).

Opportunities

• a broad-based partnership means there is a lot of expertise to draw on;
  
  
• in communities with political will, it is possible to build support through education and effect relatively quick changes;
  
  
• Chief and Councils that support fire protection could serve as champions; and
  
  
• firefighting, fire inspections and equipment maintenance, fire safety education and outreach, as well as emergency services, are areas that could provide jobs for young people on-reserve.

Overview of Priorities

This strategic plan maps a course of shared priorities and actions to address the challenges, maximize the opportunities, and meet the overall goals that have been defined.

The initial short-term phase of the strategy focuses on a number of immediate actions that can be taken to generate a substantial improvement in fire protection in First Nation communities, such as exploring the role of a fire chief, enhancing fire safety education and awareness, improving data collection, conducting a gap analysis, developing a risk based approach, strengthening fire safety inspections and reporting, examining the issue of insurance on-reserve, and integrating fire protecting into emergency response planning, among other activities.

The medium-term phase builds on and continues many activities from the short-term, while laying the ground work for future action to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve. Medium-term activities include conducting an analysis of fire protection capacity using information available from the Integrated Capital Management System, considering ways to enhance fire protection training, integrating fire protection into community planning activities, revising the Levels of Service Standard for fire protection services, and analyzing options and creating an action plan for closing the regulatory gap.

The long-term phase centres on implementing actions to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve, as well as evaluating progress under the strategy and planning for future action.

This strategy recognizes that regions and communities vary in their size, activities and capacity to deliver fire protection services. Certain regions may have already addressed some of the priority areas outlined below, while others will be at an earlier stage in the process. Sharing best practices and lessons learned between regions will help to facilitate knowledge exchange and build capacity.

The following chart outlines the key priorities for 2010–2015. Priorities are classified according to the short-term (1-2 years), medium-term (3-4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond).

Short-term Priorities and Accompanying Activities

In the short-term (1-2 years), improvements to data collection and integrity will be made to provide a more accurate picture of fire losses, standards of service, current funding mechanisms and governance structures, and communities at greatest risk. In addition, effort will be directed at exploring a role for a community fire chief in each First Nation community or one per cluster of communities.  Opportunities for combining this role with the responsibilities associated with other roles such as first responder, public works manager and/or emergency management coordinator will be explored. The community fire chief could potentially serve as a champion of fire safety and a focal point for the coordination and implementation of fire protection activities within the community, such as education, inspections, and reporting.

INAC will seek opportunities for partnering with regional First Nation organizations on pilot projects to complete some of the work identified in the short-term, such as the pilot application of the Fire Underwriters Survey in a community/cluster of communities to improve fire protection services and lower insurance rates. Below is a summary of key short-term priorities and corresponding activities.

1.1 Conduct a gap analysis by reviewing current funding mechanisms and governance structures.

1.2  Explore the creation of a fire chief role.

1.3  Enhance fire safety education in First Nation communities.

1.4  Improve fire loss data collection and integrity to identify communities at risk.

1.5  Strengthen fire safety inspections and reporting.

1.6  Examine the issue of insurance on-reserve.

1.7  Encourage the recruitment and retention of firefighters.

1.8  Develop systems to share information and best practices among regions.

1.9  Promote innovative fire prevention technologies and initiatives.

1.10  Integrate fire protection into emergency response planning.

1.11  Promote First Nation firefighter associations for every region.

1.12  Conduct a regional review of existing fire protection regulations/standards.

Medium-term Priorities and Accompanying Activities

In the medium-term (3-4 years), the activities initiated in the short term will continue, with a particular emphasis on fire protection education. In addition, there will be an increase in activities focusing on the review of First Nations fire protection capacity and the Levels of Service Standard in order to determine future funding requirements.   As well, an analysis on the development of a fire protection training program will be completed, and steps will be taken to link fire protection with broader community planning activities.  Options to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve will also be analyzed, and a plan of action will be developed. Medium-term priorities and activities are defined as follows:

2.1  Complete an analysis of fire protection capacity.

2.2  Consider options for improving fire protection training.

2.3  Further enhance fire loss data collection and integrity.

2.4  Link fire protection to community planning.

2.5  Revise the Levels of Service Standard for fire protection services.

2.6  Develop a plan of action to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve.

Long-term Priorities and Accompanying Activities

The key to reducing fire-related losses is to address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve.  The primary long term priority involves finalizing and implementing a plan to address the regulatory gap, based on research and analysis conducted over the short and medium-term.  Long-term activities also include evaluating progress under the strategy and planning for future requirements.  The long-term priorities and activities are described below.

3.1  Address the regulatory gap governing fire protection on-reserve.

3.2  Evaluate and report on effectiveness of strategy.

3.3  Assess and determine any future action.

Circle diagram summarizing key priority areas

 

A text description of this chart is available on a separate page.

VI. Governance

Footnotes