August 22, 2023
Vancouver, BC — Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President and CEO of the National Police Federation, regarding the recent wildfire response from Members of the RCMP:
“Over the past week, residents of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have gratefully experienced a coordinated and mass response of highly trained Members of the RCMP streaming into wildfire-affected communities.
Kelowna detachment covers West Kelowna and Lake Country – all of which had simultaneous wildfire crises. Kelowna is one of the RCMP’s largest detachments in the corridor and with the support of off-duty Members and those from other detachments across the province, Kelowna’s response capacity doubled immediately during the crisis which no other police service could accomplish. Dozens of additional Members remain in the region.
Members of the RCMP are uniquely ready to respond in times of crisis across Canada. Their consistent and rigorous initial and ongoing training, policing standards, and practices enable them to convene and work together seamlessly across multiple situations, and this has been invaluable to communities and Canadians time and time again. This capability and capacity is revered by other police and first responder services internationally.
This is why ongoing funding commitments for RCMP resources and equipment is critical to communities large and small across the country.
RCMP Members from various roles and locations across British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories have been deployed to impacted communities to provide support including evacuation notification and support, security for evacuated communities, enforcement where needed, support for other first responders, and other related duties. At the same time, many others remain behind to ensure RCMP-served municipalities also have the policing services they need and appreciate.
Many local Members have continued to serve their wildfire-impacted communities in this time of crisis even while their own families and homes have been evacuated. Tragically, some have lost their homes or experienced damage while they protected others.
We thank our Members and all first responders for their extraordinary efforts and heroism over the past week and in the coming days and weeks in this dynamic and evolving situation. Your contributions are undoubtedly saving lives and properties, and your communities are grateful.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. It is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada and second largest in North America. We are focused on improving public safety in Canada for our Members and all Canadians by advocating for investment in policing and other related supports and services. This includes calling for required resourcing, equipment, and supports to enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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Media contacts:
Sarah Kavanagh
Coordinator, Media Relations
[email protected]
(604) 842-6864
