Taking action for fire preparedness

It is a blessing to live in one of the most beautiful places in the country, however, this also comes with a necessary level of caution and required preparedness with respect to wildfires.

As such, being prepared for fires and supporting firefighting prevention and management - as well as supporting responders and volunteers - is of utmost importance in Kelowna-Lake Country and the Okanagan region.

While firefighting has responsibilities shared across jurisdictions, there are several key areas where the federal government has a role. My Conservative colleagues and I have advocated for a number of measures.

First, we must support responders and volunteers. Conservatives recently called on the Liberal government to add forest firefighters to the list of Public Safety Occupations. Since forest firefighters are currently classified as silviculture and forestry workers, they are ineligible for the same potential retirement benefits as other kinds of firefighters.

Forest firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and Conservatives believe they should be entitled to benefits for doing so. Moreover, Conservatives called for increasing the volunteer firefighter tax credit, and called out the government’s announcement of $6,000 in tax credits, which falls considerably short of the $10,000 volunteer firefighters were asking for.

Another measure Conservatives brought forward are protections for first responders that apply to firefighters. Bill C-391, the Safe Hospitals Act, would modify the Criminal Code to create an aggravating circumstance for assaulting first responders. The Safe Hospitals Act closely followed, and drew inspiration from, another Conservative piece of legislation, Bill C-321, which was endorsed and supported by firefighters from across the country. Conservatives also introduced Bill C-386, which seeks to establish a special service medal for firefighters, RCMP officers and Canadian Armed Forces members who serve in domestic emergency relief operations, including wildfires.

Conservatives also supported Bill C-224, an act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting.

I’m proud to support all of these initiatives to better help firefighters.

Second, better overall emergency preparedness is needed to ensure safety.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during campaigning in the 2021 election to train 1,000 new firefighters. That promise has not been met and Conservatives have continued to call on the Liberals to act on this matter with urgency.

Conservatives have stated Canada needs better practices for forest management and wildfire preventions on the federal level. To achieve this, a Conservative government would take steps to work directly with the provinces to ensure tinfrastructure and other resources are in place to respond when fires occur.

Moreover, Conservatives believe in the importance of enforcing the law regarding those who intentionally cause wildfires, as well as ensuring education, enforcement and awareness regarding accidental human-started fires which escalate into larger scale events.

Conservatives introduced Bill C-411, which includes increasing the maximum sentence for causing a wildfire to deter arsonists and the would-be disasters they would cause.

Last, we need to continue supporting research and technology that will assist in managing wildfires and responding to them.

I had the opportunity to meet with the UBC Okanagan Wildfire Research Team to learn about the important work its members are doing to prevent and manage fires.

Infrastructure resilience, advanced monitoring systems and preventative action initiatives are just some of the innovations being worked on by organizations like UBCO to better keep us safe.

See firesmartbc.ca for information on ways to protect your home and community from a wildfire and ensure your family has a plan in case of an emergency.

Please monitor official government communications in the case of an emergency to get the most accurate and up to date information.

Thank you to all responders whose dangerous work helps save lives and protect and support our community. Stay safe.

If you need assistance with federal programs or have any thoughts to share, on this issue or others, feel free to reach out, at 250-470-5075 or at [email protected].

Tracy Gray is the Conservative MP for Kelowna-Lake Country.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.