The Cree Nation partnered with Ontario fire departments on January 31 to launch a Fire Prevention Officer (FPO) Mentorship Program in Orillia, Ontario. With 10 FPOs from Cree communities working for a month in conjunction with 11 fire departments across Ontario, the program is the first of its kind in Canada.
“Fire prevention is so vital for our communities, especially with the unique challenges we face,” stated Cree Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty. “This mentorship program will give our Fire Prevention Officers the knowledge and support needed to better protect our communities and build a safer future for all in Eeyou Istchee.”
The Cree Nation faces similar high fire risks as do other First Nations, including overcrowded housing and socioeconomic inequities. A 2021 report found children living on a reserve in Ontario are 86 times more likely to die in a fire than those living elsewhere.
The most common causes of residential fires are lit smoking materials, unsupervised youth playing with lighters or matches, accidents during cooking, faulty wiring or overloaded circuits, and combustibles like clothing or furniture being too close to heating sources.
Fire prevention in Eeyou Istchee is overseen by the CNG’s capital works and services department, comprised of the fire marshal, fire prevention officer and fire protection administrator. When George Cox became regional FPO in 2014, he started implementing the fire prevention bylaw and coordinating with communities to hire local FPOs.
Last spring, Cox was working on a Fire Master Plan with Waswanay Consulting, touring Cree communities to gather information about potential risk issues. While FPOs were certified during their training program, it was determined they lacked mentorship opportunities once they returned to their communities.
Recognizing the language barrier in Quebec, Waswanay reached out to Ontario fire departments about organizing a mentorship program. They received a positive response from 11 municipal departments both large and small, from mid-size cities like Kingston, Kitchener and Windsor to smaller communities like Kawartha Lakes and Rama First Nation.
“We want them to be immersed in fire prevention, fire inspections and public education programs,” explained Cox. “I think the program is very exciting for our Cree Nation. We’ll benefit from other professionals who have been in fire prevention for over 20 or 30 years.”
Among other outcomes, Cree FPOs are expected to learn how early detection systems are established, data collection and collaboration for investigations, coordination of public education programs, budget management, evacuation plan reviews, and identifying hazards in both residential and commercial visits.
The one-month mentorship experience is split into two-week increments, enabling each FPO to immerse themselves fully in the workings of their designated host department. This in-depth exposure to fire prevention practices will strengthen local capabilities in the Cree Nation while also establishing long-lasting relationships and knowledge exchange between participants.
“The FPOs are also certified as fire investigators, which gives them an understanding on how fires occur,” said Cox. “There are too many violations. Sometimes there are a lot of exits and fire protection systems that aren’t working. It’s up to the FPO to identify those hazards, inform the building owner and educate them to maintain their buildings.”
As burned buildings may have collapsed or emit toxic fumes, fire investigators wear safety equipment with specialized masks and may need to contact construction companies to remove debris. After determining the cause of fire, reports are sent to Cree insurance. Causes may be undetermined, accidental, natural or incendiary (intentional).
Travelling from Waswanipi to Orillia as the first Cree FPO to participate in the program, John Sanipass encountered a huge blaze on his first day involving a 150-year-old downtown building, resulting in $4 million in damage. While Sanipass wasn’t involved in firefighting and provincial police took over the arson investigation, he gained invaluable experience watching the team respond and delegate duties.
“I was amazed at how much I learned in the two weeks I was there and I’m super excited to get out there for my next two weeks,” said Sanipass. “It opened my eyes to so many different processes in the fire departments from legislation to fire codes to bigger inspections on hotels and the Rama Casino.”
Sanipass is inspired to bring his experience back to Waswanipi, such as how to reach out to building owners for public education programs. He said FPOs struggle to gain cooperation with inspections and believes it’s important to convey that following building codes and changing batteries in smoke alarms can save lives.
“We’re there to help the community, not being negative,” Sanipass asserted. “Every house has a wood-burning stove with the possibility of creating carbon monoxide, the silent killer. You can’t smell or see it. We need to prioritize getting everybody in the bush camps some protection.”
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors could have prevented the deaths of the “five great hunters” who perished in the Bussy Lake cabin fire in 2015. Sanipass learned how communities can introduce safety bylaws and suggested further legislation could be explored in Eeyou Istchee.
While FPOs generally focus on Category 1A lands within communities, Cox’s office developed educational materials for camp maintenance following 2023’s disastrous wildfires. They worked with a company to create a custom-made “hazard cabin”, a model demonstrating how to reduce combustible sources around bush camps.
Sanipass hopes to learn about other situations when he returns to Orillia in July, such as the region’s cottages, which generally have less fire suppression. The region’s FPOs will share best practices from their initial visits at a meeting in March.
The program’s second mentee, George Napash, looks forward to bringing back fire safety knowledge from Oakville, one of Toronto’s most affluent suburbs. With a new hospital currently being developed in his community of Chisasibi, he’s especially interested in ensuring effective inspection of this emerging infrastructure.
“In the book you can get the training you need, but mentorship has so much more meaning to it,” Sanipass said. “You’re learning hands-on and get to be in the mix of what’s going on. I think we’ll be seeing other First Nations implement this in their fire departments.”