Fire management organizations develop relationships and agreements with key partners so that fire response can be delivered co-operatively and effectively.
Every municipality in the “Fire Region”, as defined by the Forest Fires Prevention Act, is responsible for the suppression of grass, brush and forest fires within its limits (Section 21 of the Forest Fires Prevention Act).
To better serve the people of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) may enter into fire agreements with municipalities.
Municipal agreements have been in place since the 1950’s. The earliest versions dealt solely with fire suppression. In 1998, the current municipal agreement format was put in place, which develops an integrated fire management program that includes suppression, planning, prevention and training.
The intent of the agreement is to apply the principle of overall “least cost” in determining who should provide fire protection services on specific lands, and to ensure full cost recovery for both MNR and municipal organisations.
To determine which agency, should be the response agency, data such as fire cause, fire load, fire type and municipal wildland fire suppression resources are examined. A Municipal Forest Fire Management Workbook is used to facilitate the examination in a structured manner.
The result of the workbook exercise and local negotiations are used to identify which areas within the municipal boundary will be protected by the municipality and which will be protected by the Crown (OMNR).
While municipalities are the largest group of fire response agencies that have agreements with the OMNR, other agencies such as Northern Fire Departments, National Parks and the National Department of Defence also have agreements for fire response.
