The City of Yellowknife is implementing various strategies to assure wildfire readiness. KPMG has been contracted to conduct an after-action assessment for the city’s 2023 wildfire response, and its interim report is due to the city’s staff by May 6.
The consulting firm is scheduled to deliver its interim findings to the city on May 13, and the final report is due on July 1. Meanwhile, the city has been working on an emergency evacuation plan and training personnel with the incident command system (ICS) I-100 and ICS I-200. All those working in the emergency operations centre will undergo a two-day training session before the summer, with a one-day rehearsal planned to ensure smooth operations.
Between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. on April 27, the Yellowknife Community Arena will be the location of a public wildfire preparedness information centre hosted by the city and GNWT. During this open house, the public will receive important information about wildfire preparedness, which will be repeated to a degree at the trade show on May 11 at the City of Yellowknife booth including handouts.
In addition, the city is introducing a web page as part of its communications initiative. The website will be live for the trade show. It will enable individuals to access all necessary information in a single location. Using drop-down subheadings will facilitate navigation. Principal categories will be displayed on the right-hand side to facilitate users’ rapid navigation to the desired section. It will also include a link to the government website and information regarding air quality.
The city is also considering implementing a push system on the website in which individuals voluntarily subscribe to a distribution list to receive communications from the city regarding emergencies or critical circumstances. Additionally, social media will be leveraged. Ongoing refinement of the communications strategy will guarantee that residents are consistently informed and engaged.
