Early this year, two toddlers died when a fire swept through a home on a First Nation near Meadow Lake. Since then, steps have been taken to prevent a similar tragedy.
Today, Saskatchewan’s fire commissioner says local First Nations, the federal government, the province and even the schools have a role to play to make reserves fire safe.
When fire swept through the home on the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation last February, no one even responded to the call. The local firefighting agreement with the nearby community of Loon Lake had expired months earlier and the reserve’s own firefighting equipment was not working, nor did it have a volunteer firefighting department.
Fire commissioner Duane McKay says that is why it is important for reserves to ensure they have partnership agreements with local communities to keep their reserves fire safe. He says the province also has a role to play.
“I think the awareness now is significantly better,” he says. “I think it will take some time to get the level of services the communities will require, but that comes to partnerships and we are certainly trying our very best to ensure we are a positive player in that.”
The budget for on-reserve firefighting comes from the federal Department of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs. It is up to the local reserves to determine how that money is spent. McKay says prevention is one of most important elements of fire safety. He adds children can play a very important role.
“You know firefighting in schools is critical,” he says. “If we can teach the young people, you know the Grades 1 to 3, that this is the way we do business in the province to be fire safe, they will go home and teach their parents or guardians.”
This is fire prevention week in Saskatchewan. The move towards that actually began much earlier. In the spring, the Meadow Lake, Prince Albert and Saskatoon tribal councils all conducted fire audits on their member First Nations to make sure they had adequate fire protection in place, and that fire prevention plans were being taught.