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Change underway in Yukon firefighting as communities launch new fire programs

July 25, 2023, Yukon – A new “levels of fire service” model has been implemented in unincorporated communities in the Yukon.

Defining levels of service was recommended by the 2021 Review of the Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office and since 2022, Destruction Bay, Keno, Old Crow, Pelly Crossing and Ross River have launched new fire programs. The model offers multiple levels of fire service to match the needs and capacities of individual communities.

A government press release states that the levels of fire service model has the ability to offer options to unincorporated communities that cannot maintain a fire department. New options include a Fire Safety Champion program and a Scene Safety Response Unit program.

Implementation of the new model will take place over the next 15 months. All fire services in unincorporated communities are expected to review their level of fire service and determine the program that best suits their needs and capacity by April 2024.

The Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office is set to provide equipment, training and administrative support to help each community fire service meet the requirements of their level by November 2024.

The government said the change will not affect municipal fire departments, but it will support any municipality that decides to adopt a similar approach for managing their fire services.