N.W.T. gov't had a plan for 2023 wildfires but staff didn't know about it

During the 2023 wildfires, the government of the Northwest Territories used its 2018 emergency plan — and, according to a consulting firm tasked with reviewing the territory's emergency response, that plan should have worked. 

The problem? Very few people knew about it.

In a report released Wednesday, Transitional Solutions Inc. (TSI) — the contractor hired for $331,100 to assess the N.W.T.'s response to the wildfires — recommends the territory create an agency dedicated to emergency management. It says doing so would provide clarity and authority for future emergencies.

Wednesday's report is one of several after-action reviews that were done following the disastrous 2023 wildfire season. Other reports have focused on the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the City of Yellowknife and organizations' own handlings of the 2023 evacuations.

Like those previous reviews, TSI's 164-page report details confusion, poor communication, gaps in care for vulnerable populations and an erosion of public trust.

TSI says a dedicated emergency management agency could help address that. Such an agency would be responsible for co-ordinating between all levels of government to reduce confusion about who's in charge of what. It would be in charge of developing a plan, ensuring staff are aware of and properly trained on the plan, providing clear guidelines to local governments, supporting recovery from the emergency and including Indigenous bodies in the plan. 

TSI describes an emergency plan that exists within the territorial government, but which lacked detail and practical application. The 2018 plan was neither tested nor updated to address evolving risks of climate change. Having interviewed more than 250 people, government staff, community leaders and residents, TSI writes that most people didn't know it existed or how to access it — or couldn't access it when necessary because of too few paper copies and limited internet access.

"Emergency management is on the side of everyone's desk," the review quotes one unnamed government leader as saying.

In 2024, the territory did update its emergency management plan to clarify departments' specific roles in supporting community governments and what support is available to communities hosting evacuees, but TSI says the updated plan doesn't go far enough. 

The report highlights a need for clear definitions in the government's plan, like "trigger points" on when to evacuate. If there were trigger points, they were not widely understood.

In Hay River, Fort Smith, Behchokǫ and Enterprise, that delayed departures with some evacuees fleeing through flames. 

'Everyone must be not only aware of the plan but also understand their specific role'

Both the 2018 and updated 2024 plans say the Department of Health and Social Services will provide emergency social services if needed during the emergency, but don't say what services that would include. 

The government should define who is an essential worker, TSI recommends. TSI writes that it would be helpful to include in people's job descriptions whether they're considered essential. In 2023, some staff were deemed essential while colleagues in similar roles were not. 

What about after the evacuation? The report points to regulations in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon that prescribe recovery measures, financial assistance and how varying municipal and Indigenous bodies fit within them.

"Throughout the research of this report, themes across communities indicated duplication of efforts, gaps and a general lack of awareness of the reporting structure," the report states. 

"Competing layers of authority created delays in decision-making and confusion about jurisdictional boundaries and roles throughout the 2023 wildfire season." 

The dedicated emergency management agency would resolve that confusion by being the de facto authority. 

TSI also emphasizes the need to test the territory's emergency plan and train those tasked with executing it. It recommends mandatory training for elected officials in addition to emergency managers. 

For responsibilities delegated to community governments, that means clear standards and oversight for achieving them. 

"In the event of an emergency, everyone must be not only aware of the plan but also understand their specific role," the report states.

In a press conference Wednesday, TSI staff said the recommendations could seem ambitious to a government with limited resources. That's why the report recommends partnerships with provincial governments that already have many of the plans in place.

TSI project manager Kerri Holmes said no one can do this work alone, but with the partnership recommendations, the territory knows where to go for support.

"So there are some very large recommendations in there, but through partnerships we do believe these recommendations can be actioned," Holmes said.

In a statement Wednesday, Vince McKay, minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, said his department is already working on some of the recommendations like collaborating with Indigenous governments.

No one from the government was available for comment at the press conference. In a press release, officials said the government plans to respond later in the summer after reviewing the report's recommendations, assessing potential changes and developing an action plan.