The final report of the KPMG 2023 North Slave Complex Wildfires After Action Assessment was presented at City of Yellowknife council meeting, offering insight for enhancing emergency protocols.
Early in 2024, KMPG collected data through public forums, surveys, and interviews to compile key findings. They pinpointed 35 areas for improvement and proposed 26 recommendations to address these issues.
The recommendations from KMPG cover various areas, with a significant focus on cross-agency coordination. Improving the clarity around roles and responsibilities of the GNWT and the City of Yellowknife during emergencies was highlighted. They emphasize the importance of effective public communications, considerations for vulnerable populations, management of emergency operations centers and their continuity. A need to refine evacuation plans was noted.
Since September 2023, the City of Yellowknife has made progress on several emergency preparedness initiatives. Each recommendation has been given a prioritization for consideration. Out of the nine major projects outlined in the document, five have been started, and one is complete. Three projects have been initiated, but they are still in their early stages. The city has started three of the 12 quick-win initiatives; three of them are complete, and five are still in their early stages. Out of the four incremental tasks, two have been started, and two are complete. Additionally, the one future opportunity that was suggested has also been initiated.
City Manager Sheila Bassi-Kellett has stated that, excluding this document, the city has spent $100,000 on emergency preparedness this year.
