Canada Firefighting Equipment
This year provinces across Canada received low snowfall, dry springs, and an extraordinarily hot summer, which has led to an increase in the frequency of forest fires in Canada. This fact, coupled with Canada’s large land mass, intensifies the need for more firefighting equipment to arm those combatting forest fires with the equipment needed to contain wildfires while keeping themselves, others, and various infrastructure safe.
As of June 8th, 2023, there were 437 active fires across Canada, with 248 out of control according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire (CIFFC), burning more than 9 million acres of forest in Canada. Starting in late April in British Columbia and Alberta, fires have also appeared in Ontario, Quebec, and Halifax, with Quebec being the most affected province with 154 active fires and 92 of them out of control. 82 fires were reported in British Columbia, in which 29 were not under control, 73 fires were reported in Alberta, in which close to two dozen were not under control, and close to 70 fires were reported in Ontario, in which 26 were not under control. Halifax is the only recent province to have all wildfires under control.
Canada imports over USD 500 million of firefighting equipment and gear annually from the United States. Due to the increased frequency of fires in Canada, this figure is expected to rise due to a surge in demand for various firefighting equipment. This includes equipment and machinery such as, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, fire trucks, Helicopters, Helicopter Buckets, Equipment Trailers, Portable Fire Pumps and more. In Canada, provinces and territories purchase goods and services using their online procurement portal (links to these procurement websites can be found here), in which Fire, safety, and rescue equipment are usually bought through standing offers (SO).
The Canadian government has also actively tried to prevent and combat forest fires with various initiatives. For example, the government released the Canada Adaptation Action Plan, which invests over 1.6 billion in new federal spending through multiple investments, programs and initiatives such as the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, which seeks to enhance the FireSmart Canada Program through a CAD 284 million (USD 214 million) investment. Furthermore, recently the government announced that through the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC), 9 agreements have been signed through the first phase of the CAD 37.9 million (USD 28.5 million) Wildfire Training Fund, resulting in over 300 Indigenous firefighters and 125 Indigenous fire guardians being hired and trained for this wildfire season.
The surge in demand for firefighting equipment, coupled with continued government support, provides U.S. manufacturers and suppliers with countless opportunities to support Canada’s response to wildfires and boost Canada’s supply chain.
The U.S. Commercial Service in Canada is closely following the developments in this critical industry. We stand ready to support advocacy efforts and export promotion efforts. For further information, please contact: Commercial Specialist Philipp Fortin