Sparky safety message : The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Be alert and stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food.

FNESS Safety Message:

FNESS Quarterly Responder

FI R S T N AT ION S '

E M E R GE N CY S E RV I C E S

S OC I E T Y OF B C

Newsletter Date May 2017

Issue: 28

Special points of

interest:

HIZ Training, Fort

Nelson First Nation

SWPI Intake Applica-

tion Deadline: Octo-

ber 6, 2017

FNESS Safety Message 1

Community Profile 2

Fire Services 4

Forest Fuel Management 4

Inside this issue:

From the FireSmart handbook:

Firewood Piles:

Wood piled against a house is a major fire hazard. Moving your firewood pile may be a key factor that allows your home to survive a wildfire.

Easily ignited debris often accumulates in and near firewood piles--clean these areas regularly.

Community Profile:

Gingolx:

Gingolx is a beautiful coastal community on the shores of Portland Inlet in northwest British Columbia. The Village Government is working on many projects to improve safety and infrastructure for its residents and members. The Fire Department is actively recruiting members. A team of fire fighters is travelling to Vernon in June to take part in the annual FNESS Fire Fighter Competition and training sessions. Fire Chief Chris Stanley is working with Village Staff and fire fighters to start a home inspection program that will include the installation of smoke/carbon monoxide alarms and kitchen fire extinguishers.

In May, FNESS Fire Service Officers worked with Chief and Council, in addition to fire fighters and school staff on a number of fire prevention programs. We visited the elementary school, preschool and Head Start pro-gram to teach age appropriate fire safety education. In addition, the Fire Chief issues burning permits for open burning in Gingolx. This is a very positive safety step

for the community.

Photo: Fire Chief Chris Stanley of the Gingolx Fire Depart-ment helping with a preschool fire safety lesson

Photo: The Gingolx Fire Fighters and FNESS FSO Curtis Dick outside of the fire hall. They participated in the FNESS Home Inspection Workshop. FNESS looks forward to hearing more about the fire safety initiatives that are happening in Gingolx.

ʔAq̓am ʔAq̓am is a member community of the Ktunaxa Nation and is close to the centre of the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory which covers approximately 70,000 square kilometres within the Kootenay region and parts of Alberta, Montana, Wash-ington, and Idaho. The ʔAq̓am Community has the largest population of all Ktunaxa Nation Bands and the largest land base, occupying 18,420 acres or 7,461 hectares in total. Situated in the Rocky Mountain Trench, in the East Kootenay region in southeastern British Columbia, ʔAq̓am is located five kilo-metres from Cranbrook, the largest city in the East Koote-nay region, and rests alongside the St. Mary’s River with the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west. The ʔAq̓am administration operates a diverse range of pro-grams and services, including the ʔAq̓amnik̓ Elementary school; ʔAq̓amnik̓ Daycare; ʔAq̓amnik̓ After School; and Summer Programs; Community Education Services; Com-munity Health; Economic Development, Lands/Natural Re-

FCommunity Profile continues...

sources; and Housing and Administrative services. Band Council consists of a Chief and four Councillors, all elected through the Band’s own election process. ʔAq̓am members are employed in a variety of fields, including local government, hospitality, construction, transportation, tourism, forestry, and entrepreneurial pursuits. ʔAq̓am has shown leadership with planning and im-plementation of operational project activities to reduce the risk of wildfire to the community with active en-gagement in the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) and the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Can-ada (INAC) On-reserve Fuel Treatment programs. ʔAq̓am has also recently completed a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Update that was de-veloped with linkage to the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District Fire Management Plan. FNESS and ʔAq̓am are currently exploring opportuni-ties to identify priority areas for Forest Enhancement Society project initiatives that would address fuel miti-gation outside the Wildland Urban Interface, as well

as wildlife habitat enhancement and rehabilita-tion of problem forest types.

Photo Left: FNESS Rob Mitchell, RPF & John Brace inspecting completed SWPI Operational Fuel treatment at ʔAq̓am

Photo Right: Fire Management Zonation Mapping at ʔAq̓am (l-r) Julie Couse, Lands Director; FNESS Robert Mitchell, RPF; and John Brace, RPF Project Planning Forester.

This month has been a busy one for the Fire Services department. It is the second month of our fiscal year and we have started implementing the planning efforts initiat-ed last April. We have already visited two schools: one in Gingolx and another one in Skeetchestn. Also, we visit-ed Pauquahchin to deliver a Home Fire Life Safety Edu-cation workshop and Lil’wat for a Fire Protection Leader-ship and Governance workshop. In addition, the Fire-fighter training with the Saik’uz Volunteer Fire Depart-ment has been showing great progress. FNESS Safety Expo 2017 will be held from June 04 to June 08 in Vernon. Last month, we started on planning our biggest event of the year. This month we are very proud to see the engagement of our First Nations. We have over 70 registrants for the FNESS Firefighter Train-ing and twelve teams signed up for the Regional First Nations’ Firefighter Competition. Thanks to the support of INAC, Fortis BC, Fire Chiefs Association of BC, Alexis Park Elementary School, The North Okanagan Fire Training Centre, and Okanagan Indian Band Public Ser-vices Department, we have selected our venues and dates and we are ready to bring you an exciting Expo. Next month you will have the results and stories about

the FNESS Safety Expo 2017. In the meantime, we want to share with you the events we are bringing this year:

JUNE 5: 33RD ANNUAL FIRST NATIONS’ PROVINCIAL FIREFIGHTER COMPETITION AT ALEXIS PARK ELEMENTARY 8:00 AM-2:00 PM

JUNE 6 AND 7: FNESS EXTERIOR FIRE OP-ERATIONS FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AT NORTH OKANAGAN FIRE TRAINING CENTRE 8:45 AM-4:00 PM

JUNE 6: WORKSAFE BC RESEARCH ON IN-DIGENOUS LEADERSHIP ON STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING AT FCABC CONFERENCE SUNRISE SESSION 7:15 AM & FAIRFIELD INN MEETING ROOM 5:00 PM

JUNE 6: PRESENTATION BCEH FIRST RE-SPONDER PROGRAM AT FAIRFIELD INN MEETING ROOM 6:00 PM

JUNE 8: FNESS AGM @OKIB HEAD OF THE LAKE HALL 9 M

Fire Services

Forest Fuel Management (FFM)

The Forest Fuel Management (FFM) Department is providing updates about department events and activities attend-ed and participated in for the month of May.

Events

FNESS Board of Directors President, Edwin Mountain, Sr., and Jeff Eustache, RFT FFM Manager, attended and participated at the St'at'imc Gathering, hosted by the Xaxli’p First Nation on May 9th, 2017. This was a good opportunity for FNESS Departments to showcase their various services they provide to communi-ties. They answered many good questions from attendees on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Inquiries about structural and wildfire training; and the FireSmart work that Xaxli’p First Nation conducted, also received very positive feedback from community members in terms of FireSmart principles. Overall, having a FNESS booth at this event provided us with a great opportunity to meaningfully connect with the community.

Events.. continued

Photos: FNESS Board of Director - President, Edwin Mountain, Sr., and Jeff Eustache, RFT, FFM Man-ager at the St'at'imc Gathering

2016-17 Emergency Management Preparedness (EMP) Funding - On Reserve Fuel Treatment Initiative… stay tuned

The EMP INAC 2016-17 project, to conduct forest fuel prescription review and operational fuel treatment pro-jects for 22 First Nations communities has now been completed. The project was a success again this year. We look forward to receiving approval for funds for the 2017-18 fiscal year. We made a submission to INAC for

this year and awaiting confirmation and approval. As soon as they are received we will begin plan-ning and implementation for 2017-18.

Photo: Left: Akisq’nuk First Nation On-Reserve Fuel Treatment; and Right: Yunesit’in Fuel Management On-Reserve

Promo & Educational Awareness

HIZ Training, Fort Nelson First Nation On May 7th, the Fort Nelson and Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Geographic Information staff training session focused on processing aerial imagery taken by UAV into products to support business needs: • Processing data/stitching imagery • Digital terrain model creation • Volumetric analysis • Geo-referencing objects • Ortho rectification

Photo: L- Richard Sullivan with

Hummingbird Drones presented at the Fort Nelson trade fair

Promo & Educational Awareness… continued

Nepal Forest & Fire Management Workshop Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is involved in a two year project “Nepal Forest and Wildfire Management” that is be-ing funded by the International Development Research Cen-ter Canada (IDRC). In Nepal, there is a lack of existing na-tional capability in fire research and management, including monitoring, early warning, and ecological and socio-economic impact assessment. With few provisions for fire control, limited application of available plans and no special-ized unit formed to oversee fires, Nepal’s Forest Fire Man-agement Strategy is deemed weak. There is inadequate coordination as well as minimal training (in some instances just two days for firefighters). Related research and training has not been institutionalized, has often been scattered, and

little shared with more communities. The objectives of this research project is to focus on 1) policy, leg-islative and institutional reforms, 2) education, awareness, capacity building, and technology devel-opment, 3) collaboration, partnership, network and infrastructural development, and 4) effective incident command systems. TRU invited FNESS to participate in the Nepal For-est & Fire Management Workshop. The goal of this workshop was to introduce our Nepalese colleagues to a variety of fire professionals in Canada and to start the process of information sharing.

Photo: Nepal Forest & Fire Management Workshop hosted by Thompson Rivers University (TRU)

What is the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI)?

The Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) is a suite of funding programs managed through the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Working Group that includes the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society (FNESS), Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO); and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). Funding is provided by the Province of BC and is administered by UBCM. The initiative supports communities to mitigate risk from wildfire in the wildland urban interface.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan & CWPP Update Program The CWPP program assists local governments and First Nations in identifying the risks of wildfire to their community as well as opportunities to reduce those risks. The purpose of a CWPP is to identify the wildfire risks within and surrounding a community, to describe the potential consequences if a wildfire was to impact the community, and to examine possible ways to reduce the wildfire risk. The CWPP program can contribute a maximum of 75% of the cost of eligible activities – to a maximum of $22,500. The remainder (25%) is required to be funded through community contributions.

Fuel Management Prescription Program The Fuel Management Prescription program assists local governments and First Nations to develop prescriptions for areas in the WUI that are at risk from wildfires and which were identified as priorities in the CWPP. A fuel management prescription is a document that identifies the objectives and strategies to lower the wildfire hazard in an identified area. Prescriptions ensure that proposed treatments include clearly defined objectives for fuel management that will result in a measurable reduction in the wildfire risk to a value while meeting all legislated and non-statutory requirements. The Fuel Management Prescription program can contribute a maximum of 75% of the cost of eligible activities and the remainder (25%) is required to be funded through community contributions.

Fuel Management Demonstration Projects

The Fuel Management Demonstration project program assists local governments and First Nations to undertake small-scale treatments. Fuel Management Demonstration Projects are small-scale projects, in the WUI, in areas that are at risk from wildfires, and which are designed to:

Demonstrate fuel management treatments and increase public awareness of fuel management

Test methodologies and equipment prior to implementing large-scale operational fuel treatment projects

Explore the economic and operational viability of different fuel treatment methodologies The Fuel Management Demonstration Project program can contribute a maximum of 75% of the cost of eligible activities – to a maximum of $25,000, and the remainder (25%) is required to be funded through community contributions.

What is SWPI…continued

Photo: Westbank Fuel Management Crew including supervisors Richard Mackenzie and Bob Swite. The crew is treating 38.0 hectares in the Westbank FN Community Forest on the northern border of West Kelowna. From left to right: Harvey Tronson, Les Campen, Brent Tronson, Jessin Potskin, Richard Mackenzie, Bob Swite and Brenden Mercer, FNESS.

Operational Fuel Treatment Program The Operational Fuel Treatment program assists local gov-ernments and First Nations to undertake operational fuel treatments that are set out in a prescription in areas identi-fied as priorities in the CWPP. The primary objective of the program is to maximize the number of hectares treated in areas that pose the greatest risk of wildfire to communities. Operational fuel management is defined as the process of changing forest fuel to reduce aggressive fire behaviour. This may include treatments such as thinning, spacing and pruning trees, and removal of needles and woody debris

from the forest floor. The intent is to reduce fuel load in the forest and reduce the potential for devastating wildfires. The Operational Fuel Treatment program can contrib-ute a maximum of 90% of the cost of eligible activities up to $400,000 in funding per municipality or First Nation per calendar year, and up to $600,000 in fund-ing per regional district per calendar year. The re-mainder (10%) is required to be funded through com-munity contributions.

What is SWPI…continued

Photo Boothroyd Indian Band SWPI Operational Treatment 2016

2017 SWPI FireSmart Planning Grant Program The FireSmart Communities Program, provided by Partners in Protection, is designed to encourage self-organized groups of residents to take the lead in implementing solutions for wildfire safety on their own properties. First Nations and individual neighbourhoods or subdivisions within local governments that are in areas prone to wildfire can earn FireSmart Community Recognition status by meeting the criteria set by Partners in Protection.

3rd SWPI Intake Application Deadline for 2017 will be October 6th

All SWPI applications from First Nations Communities for CWPP, Fuel Management Prescription, and Operational Treatments/maintenance to be submitted directly to Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) at swpi@ubcm.ca and mail: UBCM 525, Government Street, Victoria, V8V 0A8.

National FireSmart Canada, Community Recognition Program We have been very active assisting First Nations and local governments to engage in the FireSmart Community Recognition Program. The objective for this year is to progress First Nations and local government into the FireSmart Canada Community recognition program. The following communities recently received FireSmart community recognition. 1. Penticton Indian Band: 2016 new recognition. 2. The Village of Lytton: 2016 new recognition. 3. Lytton First Nation: 2016 new recognition. 4. Piers Island: 2016 new recognition. The FFM department works with First Nations, of BC, Provincial and Federal governments and agencies, to assist with wildfire prevention activities. Many First Nations in BC are impacted by the threat and risk of loss to community structures and assets as a result of wildfire. The FFM department supports access to funding to communities to re-duce the risk and loss to wildfires through planning, education, and implementation of wildfire threat reduction activi-ties. The FFM Department is primarily funded through the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative, Province of BC.

Supports First Nations access to program resources, materials and program requirements to be eligible for var-ious funding streams.

Provide guidance and support to access funding for wildfire prevention initiatives.

Assists communities to navigate through funding, applications, and program criteria. We access federal funds through the Indigenous Affairs Northern Development Canada that supports:

BC First Nations with Wildfire Prevention Initiatives and on reserve fuel treatment projects.

FireSmart Canada Community Recognition Program. Many of the programs include the FireSmart Canada Community recognition program, as a requirements within plan-ning and guidelines for program criteria and eligibility. Being involved in the FireSmart Canada community recognition program is a benefit to the community with regard to wildfire prevention education and awareness, and also increases eligibility to access various wildfire prevention initiatives. The Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative (SWPI) is a suite of funding programs managed through the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Working Group – FNESS; Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO); and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). The FFM department works with First Nations in BC to encourage involvement with the Fire Smart Canada communi-ty recognition program, and will assist to navigate the community through the steps to become a recognized FireSmart community. This is a big step in assisting communities with wildfire prevention and creating safer communi-ties, while helping to leverage access to other wildfire prevention initiatives.

F I R S T N A T I O N S ' E M E R G E N C Y S E R V I C E S S O C I E T Y O F B C

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Traditional Territory

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Fax: 604-669-9832

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Or 1-888-388-4431

Fax: 250-377-7610

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