Question Period Note: Fire Safety

• We recognize that Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by fire incidents that can have devastating impacts on communities.

• Fire protection is an essential service that can make the difference between life and death.

• We are supporting the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada to engage Indigenous communities to better understand their fire protection needs, deliver programming and to determine the scope and mandate of a future National Indigenous Fire Safety Council.

• We will continue supporting community-led solutions to keep Indigenous communities safe.

Background

On reserves, fire protection is managed by the First Nation band council. Indigenous Services Canada provides funding for fire protection every year as part of the First Nation's core capital funding.

The level of funding each First Nation receives for fire protection is determined through a regionally-based formula. It looks at several factors, including the number of buildings on the reserve, population, local environment and how close the reserve is to other communities.

First Nation band councils can use these funds to run their own fire departments or to contract fire protection services from nearby communities. If a First Nation decides to contract with a nearby community, it is the responsibility of the First Nation to manage that agreement. First Nations that contract with local municipalities may also have access to 9-1-1 services. First Nations may choose to use certain fire protection funding on other priorities.

In addition to formula based funding, from 2014-2015 to 2018-2019, ISC provided an average of $34 million annually in targeted funding for fire protection, including:
• $7.7 million for capital investments (fire trucks, fire halls, etc.),
• $14.4 million for operations and maintenance of assets,
• $5.3 million for firefighter training, and
• $6.6 million in additional targeted funding provided in Budgets 2016 and 2017.
Budget 2019 provides $9.97 million over three years, starting in 2019-2020, to support the creation of an Indigenous Fire Marshal Office, now being called the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council.

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