The response system in Ontario is part of the overall fire management program and is designed to achieve the appropriate level of protection. This ensures the optimum utilization of fire management resources across the province and that each fire receives the most efficient and effective response. This is achieved by having provincially coordinated “command and control” with decision-making responsibilities and accountability at the Regional level. The Regional fire organization delivers a total fire management program and fire use service to natural resource managers within the Region.
Detailed response planning is essential. Response planning takes place at the Sault Ste. Marie Ministry Emergency Operations Centre and two Regional Fire Centres located in Sudbury and Dryden.
The Provincial Duty Officer has the ultimate authority to command and control all equipment and personnel assigned to the fire response program in Ontario. During periods of normal fire activity, the Provincial Duty Officer delegates the authority for inter-region personnel and suppression resource management and movement to the Regional Duty Officers.
Response planning sessions take place twice daily during the fire season. The Response planning team is led by a Fire Duty Officer and comprised of team members representing various units of the program such as fire response, fire intelligence, logistics, aircraft management, fire detection, fire information and fire prevention.
An afternoon planning session determines the “Strategic Operating Plan” (SOP) for the next day. The following morning, another planning session takes place to determine if any updates are required as a result of changes in the fire situation or a change in weather, and subsequently a “Strategic Operating Plan Update” is issued.
Response planning also takes place at the various Fire Management Headquarters strategically located throughout the province. The response teams in the headquarters (led by a Sector Response Officer) provide valuable input to the daily response planning sessions which take place at the Regional and Provincial Centres. The Sector Response Officers are responsible for delivering the response plan for the day as directed by the Fire Duty Officer and outlined in the Strategic Operating Plan and Update.
The Strategic Operating Plan and Update address such areas as:
- current fire situation,
- weather updates,
- predicted fire arrivals and fire behaviour predictions,
- priority areas and concerns,
- initial attack crew alerts/locations,
- planned detection requirements,
- logistics issues and concerns, and
- helicopter/water bomber alerts and locations.
