On Saturday 4 May 2024, residents across Canada will participate in Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, an annual initiative that encourages residents to take proactive steps to better prepare their homes and neighbourhoods against wildland fire. This initiative has been supported by Canadian ICMIF member Co-operators since its inception in 2015.
Each year, neighbourhoods and community groups apply to receive a CAD 500 award to organise local projects and events that increase awareness of wildland fire risk and enhance community resilience. This award is sponsored by FireSmartTM Canada and its funding partners, Co operators Ltd., the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), and the provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies.
This year, FireSmart Canada and its partners say they are thrilled to award 378 neighbourhoods in 10 provinces and two territories—165 more than the year before.
In the aftermath of the 2023 wildland fire season, that significantly impacted families, neighbourhoods and entire communities across Canada, the urgency to bolster wildland fire preparedness has never been more pronounced.
“We are thrilled to see Wildfire Community Preparedness Day grow exponentially since its inception in 2015,” said Maya Milardovic, Associate Vice-President of Government Relations for Co-operators. “As a founding member and insurer, we recognise the need for raising wildfire mitigation awareness across Canada and supporting communities with incentives, including the Wildfire Community Preparedness Day awards and our FireSmart discount. With wildfire severity continuing to increase year after year, it is more important than ever to empower families to prepare for wildfires and protect themselves against risks.”
“Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a pivotal first step for neighborhoods to increase their resilience to wildland fire,” said Lisa Walker, Director of Partnerships and Resiliency at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. “By implementing FireSmart principles, communities can lay the foundation for long-term prevention and mitigation strategies, ensuring they are better prepared against the threat of wildland fire.”
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a call to action for all. Families, individuals, and community groups are urged to participate and learn more about FireSmart principles to better prepare themselves and their communities. Wildfire Community Preparedness Day began in the United States and was developed by the National Fire Protection Association™ (NFPA™), with which FireSmart Canada continues to work with today on this and other initiatives.
Co‑operators celebrates women working in wildfire resiliency
Co‑operators, FireSmart BC, and FireSmart Alberta have also come together recently to recognise women who have contributed to furthering wildfire resiliency in their community, agency, or province through the Lynn Orstad Award – Women in Wildfire Resiliency.
This annual award was created in memory of Lynn Orstad, a highly respected fire safety advocate who was dedicated to furthering wildfire resiliency, to honour women who have made significant contributions in wildfire resilience and advocacy efforts. It is presented each year at the Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit, an event focused on educating participants in various wildfire-related topics and enhancing the effectiveness of wildfire professionals. While last year’s award was presented to three outstanding professionals, this year’s award was presented to five. Learn more about the award and the five winners for 2024 here.
