Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development
May 26, 2016
Answering a Call to Action
Fire Fighters Deployed Under Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement
To support Albertans as they battle the province’s forest fires, 11 fire fighters from the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency will be deployed to Alberta this week as part of a forest fire suppression team. This follows the recent deployment of a government employee to act as International Liaison Officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg and another employee travelling to Ontario to assume the role of Logistics Section Chief Trainee.
“As highly trained experts in their field, our fire fighters are ready, willing and eager to help residents in another province. With Newfoundland and Labrador’s forest resource, communities and residents adequately protected here at home, these men and women were more than happy to volunteer for deployment.”
- The Honorable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency
The Newfoundland and Labrador forest fire fighters will join with their counterparts from Prince Edward Island to form a team of 17 and will be redeployed to a particular fire after they arrive in Edmonton. It is anticipated that the total time of deployment will be 19 days.
Three Provincial Government employees deployed to Alberta earlier this month, as part of a nine-person Atlantic Canadian Incident Management Team, will return to Newfoundland and Labrador today, May 26.
These deployments are made under the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement, which enables provinces to share firefighting resources.
The Provincial Government has adequate resources in place to manage fires throughout the forest fire season, including five water bombers, helicopters and firefighters stationed around the province.
QUICK FACTS
- Eleven forest fire fighters with the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency are heading to Alberta this weekend as part of a fire suppression team deployed under the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement.
- The 11 forest fire fighters will join with their counterparts from Prince Edward Island to form a team of 17 and will be redeployed to a particular fire after they arrive in Edmonton.
- This follows the recent deployment of a government employee to act as International Liaison Officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg and another employee travelling to Ontario to assume the role of Logistics Section Chief Trainee.
- Three Provincial Government employees deployed earlier this month will return to Newfoundland and Labrador today, May 26.
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Media contacts:
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Tansy Mundon Director of Communications Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development Forestry and Agrifoods Agency 709-729-4570, 693-1865 tansymundon@gov.nl.ca |
2016 05 26 3:50 p.m.