FireSmart
FireSmart: An Emergency Management Program
FireSmart is a national program designed to protect human lives, preserve local properties and ensure there is a minimal economic impact to a community from wildfires. This service considers a variety of disciplines to create a holistic perspective on the management of forest fires in vulnerable communities throughout Canada.
The Disciplines of FireSmart, Promoting Fire Safety
FireSmart is structured around seven core disciplines that it uses to protect families, their homes, communities, and important natural resources. By maintaining these practices, Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management can provide greater depth of training and preparation for protection from wildfires.
Connect with us to learn more about FireSmart and our fire safety training workshops.
The Seven Disciplines
Education
Through online and printed resources available from FireSmart Canada, we provide educational resources that can be shared throughout a community, raising further interest and awareness among families and individuals in the area.
Emergency Planning
Working with multiple agencies to tackle an emergency situation can get complicated quickly. Creating operational guidelines and response strategies helps us to prepare for combating wildfires cohesively.
Vegetation Management
Vegetation management is a strategy for reducing wildfires by looking at flammable materials in the fire’s path, or around vulnerable neighbourhoods. Wildfire requires fuel, in the form of vegetation, to burn; by reducing the amount of fuel, we can control the wildfire.
Legislation
Legislation, bylaws, plans, policies and development standards all play a significant role in building and maintaining FireSmart neighbourhoods. Consideration of forest fires at the property development planning stage is a key step in protecting neighbourhoods from wildfire.
Development
Development standards play a significant role in reducing the potential impact a wildfire can have on a neighbourhood. By promoting the use of less-flammable materials in building construction, we are able to reduce the risk of property damage during a wildfire.
Interagency Cooperation
The practice of FireSmart deals with complex problems that require a collaborative approach to solve. Providing ongoing education to all stakeholders, from elected officials to residents in a community, is critical to building educated decisions.
Cross-training
Cross-training aims to bring emergency response organizations together for the purpose of identifying potential weaknesses and gaps in response efforts before an actual emergency. This allows low-capacity teams to receive the support they need to combat wildfires.
Before
After
A Critical Resource in Firefighting
Addressing several preventative measures, FireSmart is a valuable initiative towards mitigating the risk of wildfires. SFNEM has participated in several of these engagements—whether it’s education around the program or the reduction of vegetative fuel that could put a community at risk. By continuing to spread awareness, we can constantly reduce potential natural disasters on First Nation Lands.
Connect with us to learn more about FireSmart and our fire safety training workshops.
