Applicants Wanted: The Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate Program – Training Fund

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 10, 2023 /CNW/ – As climate change continues to impact the frequency, intensity and severity of wildfires in many provinces and territories, the Government of Canada is continuing to support Canadians now while strengthening Canada’s preparedness for years to come. Investments that support wildland fire training initiatives increase the capacity for fire management across Canada.

On December 8th, 2023, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced the launch of the Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate Program — Training Fund (FMWCC) call for applications. Under this program, the Government of Canada will provide funding to train 1,000 firefighters to help reduce the risks of wildfires and support community-based capacity to mitigate, prepare and respond to wildfires on an ongoing basis.

A two-year pilot phase, starting in 2022–23, has informed the design of this 2023 Wildfire Training Fund Call for Applications to support projects through the end of the program in 2027.

Funding is available for projects in the following three streams:

Wildland Firefighter Training at the Type I, II, III levels;Community Wildfire Protection Training to develop and implement community-based wildfire prevention and fire management activities; andYouth Wildfire Training to develop future cohorts of wildland firefighters and professionals.

The Call prioritizes Indigenous applicants and projects that demonstrate the benefit to Indigenous communities, which face disproportionate climate impacts relating to wildfires. It will also take into consideration the three streams, a distinction-based approach, national distribution and support diversity and the inclusion of underrepresented groups (e.g., women, racialized groups and Indigenous groups). 

Applications for the 2023 Wildfire Training Fund Call for Applications will be accepted from December 8, 2023, until February 1, 2024, and are open to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, groups and communities, Canadian academic institutions, provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies.

Virtual information sessions will be held on December 14, 2024, at 11 a.m. ET in French and 1 p.m. ET in English. These sessions will provide an opportunity for interested applicants to pose questions about the application requirements and process.

Keeping Canadians safe and healthy is a top priority for the Government of Canada. By working together with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities, we continue to address wildfires while protecting homes, livelihoods and lives.

“After the worst wildfire season in our history, the federal government is continuing to work with provincial and territorial counterparts, as well as with Indigenous Peoples, to mitigate and adapt to the worst effects of climate change. The Fighting and Managing Wildfires: Training Fund is a crucial part of Canada’s plan to train more firefighters in the communities that need them most, protecting lives and livelihoods. Over the past eight years, the federal government has made wildfire management a top priority and will continue to do so.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Canadians just experienced our worst forest fire season in recorded history. The call for proposals for the Wildfire Training Fund will strengthen our firefighting capabilities and ensure that communities across Canada get the help they need to better respond to increasingly more frequent and severe disasters.”

The Honourable Harjit Sajjan
President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

The FMWCC program — Training Fund was launched in 2022 as a two-year pilot phase to inform the full launch of a responsive, inclusive and holistic Wildfire Training Fund. Recognizing that Indigenous communities are disproportionately threatened by wildfires, the pilot focused on providing support to train firefighters in at-risk Indigenous communities while also seeking to better understand the needs of the communities, build relationships and identify the barriers to participation within these communities.The Government of Canada has been working with communities and organizations affected by wildfire to better understand the unique role the federal government plays in serving these communities, to offer nationally recognized training to further employment mobility for all firefighters, notably Indigenous firefighters, and to support a more sustainable approach to training, employment and all hazards management in Indigenous communities and beyond.

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada