Establish national fire administration
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to support Motion M-12 and establish an Office of the National Fire Administration within Public Safety Canada in collaboration with the country's fire chiefs. The government responds that it is strengthening federal coordination on wildland fire via national engagement, a renewed emergency-management strategy and investments in aerial firefighting.
Why we would sign this petition
- A national office would centralize coordination across jurisdictions, helping to prepare for major emergencies and direct resources more efficiently.
- Embedding fire and emergency expertise into federal policy areas (housing, transport, green tech) could reduce risk from complex events.
- Working with fire chiefs could strengthen standards, training and support for largely volunteer fire services facing growing demands.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A new federal office could duplicate provincial and municipal responsibilities, creating jurisdictional overlap and slow decision-making.
- Establishing and staffing a new national agency may be costly and take time, delaying practical support to firefighters.
- Enhancing existing coordination mechanisms and funding targeted programs might achieve similar outcomes without creating a new office.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled Canada has around 3,200 fire departments of which approximately 80% rely solely on volunteer firefighters; The scale and complexity of events Canadian fire services are expected to respond to have increased dramatically in recent years and that trend is anticipated to continue; All levels of government in Canada are involved in aspects of fire and emergency management; Collaboration and strategic coordination are necessary to prepare for major emergencies and ensure efficient use of resources; and There is a need to integrate a fire and emergency management perspective into policy and decision making for other issues, including, but not limited to, housing, green technology, transportation, tariffs, first responder mental health, and defense. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to support Motion M-12 and work in collaboration with the country’s fire chiefs to establish the Office of the National Fire Administration located within Public Safety Canada.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada Signed by ANTHONY HOUSEFATHER, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY The government would like to thank the petitioners for raising this important issue. The Government of Canada is aware of the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires and the risk they pose to Canadians. Protecting our communities from these devastating wildfires requires bold approaches and committed, coordinated action from all levels of government.? Canada’s emergency management system operates within a complex multi-jurisdictional governance structure characterized by shared and overlapping authorities across federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal levels. At the federal level, the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, acting through Public Safety Canada, is responsible for exercising federal leadership in emergency management and coordinating emergency management. This includes the coordination of federal emergency management activities and the integration of efforts with other federal departments and agencies, provincial and territorial governments, and non-governmental stakeholders. In Canada, emergencies like wildfires are managed first at the local level. Local authorities who need assistance request it from provincial or territorial governments. If an emergency escalates beyond their capabilities, the province or territory may seek assistance from the federal government. Within this context, it is clear that some level of increased coordination is needed to respond to more serious and complex emergency events. The Government of Canada is taking actions to enhance federal leadership in wildland fire management while respecting the roles and responsibilities of other jurisdictions. Following the second worst wildfire season in Canadian history, a national public engagement with Canadians and key emergency management stakeholders was launched in late 2025. The Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians, Indigenous governments and leaders, provincial and territorial authorities, and other stakeholders on the evolving role of the federal government in emergency management going forward. In addition, Canada’s renewed Emergency Management Strategy will focus action between federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions, following the themes of preparedness, response capabilities, and risk reduction and recovery. It will bring greater focus to international best practices, Indigenous engagement, and large-scale evacuations. Further, it will integrate considerations related to security, cyber emergencies, climate linked hazards, and infrastructure. Budget 2025 is also investing $257.6 million over four years to Natural Resources Canada to lease firefighting aircraft, which could include waterbombers or other aircraft, that will bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity. Beginning in 2022-23, The Government of Canada announced the Fighting and Managing Wildfire in a Changing Climate program, which provides $256 million over a period of five years to strengthen wildfire response capabilities across the country through the purchase of firefighting equipment. The Government of Canada will continue to explore additional ways to combat the growing wildfire risk and enhance coordination and capabilities at the national level, recognizing that provinces and territories also have a responsibility for wildfire management. The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting Canadian communities from the risks and harms associated with wildfire and collaborating with all sectors of Canadian society in achieving this goal.