FireSmart call for applications: 2021 to 2022

On this page

• About the program
• Who can apply
• Deadline
• How to apply
• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) regional office emergency management contacts

About the program

FireSmart builds skills in First Nations communities to prevent and prepare against wildland fires. Programming involves training First Nations teams in wildfire suppression duties, as well as fuel management and vegetation clearing, which reduces the intensity and spread of wildfires. FireSmart also leverages Indigenous knowledge of the local environment and terrain to improve emergency planning, preparation and response to wildfires.

Through the Emergency Management Assistance Program, FireSmart project funding is available for initiatives, such as:

• wildfire pre-suppression planning
• wildfire risk assessments
• fuel reduction, forest thinning, prescribed burning
• fire breaks
• wildland fire crew training
• vegetation management
• fire mapping
• FireSmart training, workshops, conferences

Funding for risk assessments is available through the First Nations Adapt Program. Fire-related infrastructure projects may be eligible under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program. Consult your ISC regional office emergency management contact for guidance on which program best suits your needs.

Since 2015, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has contributed approximately $3.2 million annually to First Nations to support their participation in FireSmart programs. In 2019 to 2020, FireSmart programs were funded in 53 First Nations communities.

Budget 2019 allocated $47.72 million over 5 years, starting in fiscal year 2019 to 2020, to expand the on-reserve FireSmart programs that support First Nations to enhance capacity around wildfire management.

In British Columbia, FireSmart funding for First Nations communities is administered through the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS). Please contact FNESS directly for any FireSmart-related projects in BC.

The Emergency management Assistance Program (EMAP) allows for the purchase of low-value equipment for emergency preparedness and mitigation projects through the program's proposal-based funding streams: Non-Structural Mitigation and Preparedness (NSMP) and FireSmart.

To learn more, consult the Low-value equipment purchases under EMAP page.

Who can apply

• First Nation communities
• Band or tribal councils
• Indigenous organizations

Projects based on Crown land are ineligible.

Deadline

Proposals for projects in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until funding is exhausted or until March 31, 2022.

How to apply

1. Complete the Emergency Management Non-Structural Mitigation and Preparedness Program project funding application:
   • PDF fillable/saveable, (242 KB, 3 pages)
   • PDF print only, (209 KB, 2 pages)
   • PDF instructions, (120 KB, 3 pages)
2. Submit the form to your ISC regional office emergency management contact.

If your First Nation community is in British Columbia, please contact FNESS for instructions and the application procedure:

Larry Price, Interim Manager, Forest Fuel Management Department,
Email: lprice@fness.bc.ca
Telephone: 250-320-8580 ext. #502