Western Standard - Taking wildfire operations to new heights

00:00:00.000 It is my pleasure to be here at the Grand Prairie Wildfire Warehouse and to connect with the team

00:00:04.260 here to learn more about our preparations for the year ahead. As we head into the 2024 wildfire

00:00:10.080 season, I know Albertans are concerned about protecting their homes and communities from

00:00:13.980 wildfires. As a rural Albertan myself, I understand these fears all too well. The first priority of

00:00:20.040 Alberta's government is to do all we can to be ready for this year's wildfire season, which is

00:00:24.940 why Budget 2024-25 allocated new funding to support wildfire preparedness. I'm proud to share some

00:00:33.960 details on this funding and a few ways it will enable us to better prepare for, prevent and respond to

00:00:39.600 and mitigate fires through enhanced resources. In 2023, we piloted a number of firefighting

00:00:46.740 technologies aimed at improving our responsiveness and effectiveness. I'm pleased to give many of

00:00:51.760 these resources a permanent spot on our front lines this wildfire season. Through Budget 2024,

00:00:57.920 we are increasing our night vision helicopter capacity to three contracts, which includes two

00:01:02.860 medium helicopters and one heavy helicopter. These aircraft are equipped with night vision imaging

00:01:08.500 systems, allowing us to better gauge the size and scope of fires to improve tactics and respond faster

00:01:14.260 to wildfires across the province. Night vision goggles amplify light 60,000 times, allowing pilots to

00:01:21.220 identify active parts of wildfires quickly. This groundbreaking technology will enable faster

00:01:26.620 and more accurate response to wildfires. Aircraft are crucial for wildfire response and Alberta

00:01:33.720 Wildfire currently has 18 long-term helicopter contracts available throughout the wildfire season.

00:01:39.460 Budget 2024 will increase contracted air tanker groups from 8 to 10 and will enable the province to

00:01:47.080 renew 130 casual charter helicopter contracts. Casual air tanker contracts are important so we can call

00:01:53.960 up additional air tankers when wildfire conditions dictate that more help is needed. Budget funding also

00:02:00.760 enables Alberta Wildfire to continue using high-tech drones to support wildfire management operations.

00:02:06.120 Drones deliver real-time information about fires which helps us know where to send wildland firefighters to

00:02:13.000 curb the flames. Drones are also able to fly over areas that would be too dangerous for piloted aircraft,

00:02:18.760 which helps us collect valuable data that we otherwise wouldn't have. A final technological resource

00:02:26.200 I would like to mention is artificial intelligence. Since 2022, we have successfully used an AI-powered tool

00:02:33.400 developed by Edmonton-based company Alta ML to help wildfire managers make strategic decisions.

00:02:39.320 The wildfire occurrence prediction system determines the probability of a new wildfire starting in a

00:02:45.160 given area. This technology will continue to be important to our firefighting efforts this year,

00:02:50.520 providing decision makers with an additional source of information to consider as they allocate resources

00:02:58.120 such as wildland firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment to where they will be needed most.

00:03:03.880 The wildfire occurrence prediction system can analyze granular data sources to give staff members more

00:03:09.160 specific insights about the regions they make decisions for. This prediction system was created

00:03:14.600 here in Alberta and I'm proud to use this technology to keep Albertans safe. While technology is important,

00:03:20.520 there is no wildfire response without the boots on the ground who bravely put their own safety at risk

00:03:25.960 to contain and reduce the spread of wildfire on the front lines. I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to

00:03:32.200 all members of Alberta Wildfire team for the work they do every day to protect Albertans and our communities.

00:03:38.520 Last month, I announced Forestry and Parks' request to hire an additional 100 firefighters to create

00:03:43.240 five more 20-person crews. I'm pleased this has been included in Budget 2024 and look forward to its

00:03:49.080 approval in the Legislature. Alberta Wildfire continually evaluates the technology and tools we employ

00:03:55.720 to improve our processes and become more efficient, which often includes adopting new technology and

00:04:01.560 innovative practices. Budget allocation is not always easy, but I can assure you that Alberta's

00:04:06.760 Government made these funding decisions with Albertans and communities in mind. Additional funding

00:04:11.800 through Budget 2024 and our focus on continuous evaluation and improvement will help us achieve that

00:04:17.720 goal. Again, I want to reassure Albertans that we are prepared for the worst while hoping for the best

00:04:24.040 in the wildfire season ahead.

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Western Standard - March 04, 2024

Taking wildfire operations to new heights

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