The provincial government of British Columbia unveiled its new “first-of-its-kind” wildfire education and training centre on Thursday.
The centre will be built in partnership with the BC Wildfire Service and Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, and will help train the next generation of wildfire firefighters.
The new facility is a “flagship action” that came from the province’s new emergency task force which was created in late September in response to B.C.’s historic wildfire season.
“Last summer, British Columbians endured the worst wildfire season our province has ever seen, and we only got through it thanks to the heroic efforts of our brave firefighters,” said Premier David Eby. “Our government is taking action to ensure we are better prepared for future climate emergencies, and that starts by developing and supporting our teams of first responders.”
Eby believes the centre is a necessary move to prepare the province against future wildfire seasons.
“By establishing the first-of-its-kind wildfire training and education centre in North America, we are preparing our future wildfire professionals for the critical work of protecting our forests, our communities and our families in a rapidly changing climate,” he said.
Training and programs will be offered at the centre, including comprehensive wildfire training and education programs that progress from basic skills training and learning in the wildfire field, to the future development of wildfire academic diploma and degree programs in wildfire and emergency management disciplines.
Program design will start this year with intakes for program training beginning in 2025 in existing facilities.
The BC Wildfire Service will be transitioning some of its existing programs and courses into the centre’s curriculum.
By 2028-2029, it is expected that more than 1,000 workshops will be offered per year, which will translate into 10,000 course registrations, according to the province.
Building plans for the new centre are “underway,” the province said, which will be built on Thompson Rivers University’s campus.
“Being part of a broader, collaborative effort with the BC Wildfire Service is a great honour and we look forward to working side by side on initiatives that contribute to building a safer, more resilient future for our communities,” said Brett Fairbairn, Thompson Rivers University’s president.
“This partnership reinforces Thompson Rivers University’s commitment to leading world-class research, training and innovation to improve how British Columbians adapt to living with wildfires.”