PROJECT DETAILS

Based on an Interview with Ron Lampreau

About

The Simpcw Indigenous Initial Attack Initiative is a boots-on-ground wildfire response team, by community, for community, based in Chu Chua, BC. The crew comprises community members with extensive local knowledge of the land and its stewardship practices and protocols, who have been trained in wildfire fighting. It is a considerably new initiative (established in 2021) that allows the Simpcw First Nation to respond to and mitigate wildfires in their Territory. It is partnered with BC Wildfire Services, enabling the Indigenous Initial Attack crew to be dispatched from the Kamloops Fire Centre. Their location and training allow them to quickly respond to wildfires within a 150-kilometre radius of the community.

The project was developed out of an alignment of the community's needs, capacities, and capabilities. After the 2017 wildfire season, the community determined there was a big gap in relationship with BC Wildfire Services, preventing community members from assisting with wildfire suppression. There were capable people and reliable equipment ready to help, but there was no capacity for the community to connect to the existing wildfire suppression system.

Through lots of discussions, the Indigenous Initial Attack Initiative was developed—but it's not a one size fits all. Each community is unique in both local risks and the resources they can offer. Risk versus capacity must balance for a program like this to be successful in other communities. 

Positive impacts and outcomes

The initiative has been a net positive for the community. The crew is able to respond to fires of any scale, leveraging their knowledge of the land to respond quickly and effectively. 

Alongside supporting community emergency preparedness and safety, the initiative provides community members with training and seasonal work opportunities. When not in the field, the crew also provides community fire safety education. As the program grows beyond fire response and suppression, the aim is to increase its scope to include cross-cultural training with BC Wildfire, fuel mitigation and FireSmart™ projects. 

The initiative has been well-received by organizations across the country and beyond and received the Best Economic Initiative award from the Canadian Economic Development Association earlier this year. The hope is that the program's success will help build recognition for this initiative and establish a better standard for all First Nations communities within the province of B.C. 

Challenges

The biggest hurdle faced was changing the status quo. Conversations about the program began in 2018 after the 2017 wildfire season but stalled on the question of who would fund the project. In 2021,  with fires burning across the province and insufficient resources to address them all, BC Wildfires began funding the initiative. Local partners also supported the project, providing additional funds for gear.

As the program launched mid-wildfire season, another hurdle was finding instructors to certify the crew. Luckily, the team found someone who saw the project's vision and dropped everything to help out. Ron explains “If it wasn't for instructors like this, we wouldn't have had the...training and time to fight the fires in the 2021 season.”

Funding

BC Wildfire Services has a contract to support the initiative into the future. Not included in that contract were the startup costs for equipment and gear for the crew, which were provided by stakeholders. Lower North Thompson Community Forest, Gilbert Smith Forest Products, Interfor, Tolko, and Simpcw Resource Group were all key sponsors who shared the vision and wanted to see the project succeed.

Community Climate Resilience

Fire is the biggest threat to Simpcw and our Territory. With this project, the community hopes to see immediate positive impacts as more resources are acquired and faster response time is achieved. The vision is that every First Nation community will have a capable Initial Attack Crew and will be able to assist their community and BC Wildfire services.

Next Steps

The Indigenous Initial Attack Crew is the beginning of a larger vision. The idea is not to just provide fire suppression but to mitigate, prepare for, and prevent extreme fire seasons. Climate change has affected the forests and requires a changed approach to management. Fuel reduction programs, prescribed burning, traditional burning, grassland and woodland grazing, non-timber forest products, and fibre utilization are all elements that organizers hope to incorporate into this project.

As of summer 2024, the Indigenous Initial Attack (IIA) Initiative is now the provincial model for First Nation Initial Attack crews working under the BC Wildfire Service. First Nations from across the province are now taking the first step to establish their own crews. 

Recommendations for other Indigenous communities hoping to do similar work

“Determine your risks and assess your community. What are you not willing to lose? Figure that out and the rest is easy.”