With another summer filled with wildfires coating the continent with smoke, Canada is looking to work with the United States to better coordinate disaster response. Speaking with the CBC, Bill Blair, Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister stated “We’ve been talking about even a NORAD-like approach. Because these emergencies of wildfires, floods, earthquakes, emergencies writ large and all hazards — they’re borderless.”
Indicating American officials had indicated an openness to a NORAD-like approach, Blair said, “I think we have to really work with them and think through how [greater co-operation] might be structured.” Already, efforts are underway between the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and the National Interagency Fire Center to better align firefighting coordination between Canada and the United States.
Separately, the Canadian Press reported that Canada is discussing new federal approaches to disaster relief, including the possibility of a dedicated emergency response force, perhaps similar to FEMA in the United States.
Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-us-disaster-response-cooperation-1.6871059
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/06/15/Canada-Emergency-Management-Agency/
