What’s in the report?

The Fire Safety Cover Plan for Nunavik evaluates the region’s ability to prevent and fight fires and makes recommendations for urgently-needed improvements.

Its 17 recommendations include:

* Trained, full-time, public safety officers in each community;
* Fire brigades of 10 volunteers per community, receiving stipends of 60 hours annually;
* A training strategy and local training delivery;
* Replacement or retrofitting of vehicles to meet minimum standards;
* Work towards provincial recognition of Compressed Air Foam Systems;
* Regular inspection and maintenance of trucks;
* Construction and improvement of fire halls;
* Self-contained breathing apparatus;
* Adequate communications equipment;
* Adoption of municipal by-laws with no exemptions to requirements;
* Sprinkler systems for all new residential buildings;
* Effective methods to enforce by-laws;
* Equipment, infrastructure and training to respond to airport emergencies “in accordance with Transport Canada regulations;”
* Formalized emergency response measures;
* Equipment and training provided by fuel suppliers to KRG to respond to tank farm fires “in accordance with the regulations” of Quebec’s environment department.