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VICTORIA – Former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon will conduct an independent and comprehensive review of the province’s response to this year’s wildfires, to assess what can be learned from this year’s experience, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“The response to this year’s wildfires by emergency personnel, residents and the communities affected was exceptional,” Campbell said. “At the same time, we have to learn from our experiences to ensure we’re prepared for any disaster. We have an obligation to openly and honestly evaluate what went well, and how we could have done better. I have asked former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon to pursue a full and open review and to report back to government by February 15, 2004.
“Gary Filmon is ideally-qualified to chair this review. During his tenure as premier, Manitoba faced similar natural disasters, including the province’s worst wildfires in 1989 and the flooding of 1997. The lessons that Manitoba learned from responding to those situations will be invaluable to B.C. as we assess our own experience.
“All of us have questions that we want to know have been addressed. Were personnel and equipment deployed as effectively as possible? How can we improve the flow of public information during disasters? We want to ensure the public, especially residents and communities affected, has a full opportunity to provide their input and recommendations for Mr. Filmon’s and the government’s consideration.”
Under the terms of reference provided today, the review will examine a full range of issues relevant to prevention, planning and response, including:
· Prevention strategies used for reducing the risk of interface fires; · Command structure for responding to provincial emergencies, at all levels of government, including decisions around deployment of personnel and equipment; · Provincial processes for ensuring full, adequate and timely communication of public information during emergencies, and how it can be improved; · The role of volunteers and how it can be supported and enhanced; · The framework for federal assistance for abnormal expenditures by the province.
The review will be completed and presented to the province by Feb. 15, 2004. It will then be considered by cabinet and publicly released, so that the province can learn from the recommendations and take any appropriate action in time for the 2004 fire season. The estimated cost of the review is $500,000. -30-
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