NWT requests independent review of 2023 wildfire emergency response

March 5, 2024, Yellowknife – The Northwest Territories is requesting an independent review of its 2023 wildfire emergency response.

The goal is to understand the full scope of the government’s emergency management activities last summer and improve future emergency response capabilities.

It is the largest after-action review in the territory’s history, a government press release states.

As part of the review, a third-party contractor will focus on risk monitoring, emergency preparedness activities, response activities, operational and public communications, and transition to recovery, which includes re-entry planning, repatriation and damage assessments.

The review will rely heavily on public engagement through questionnaires and public meetings, allowing for anonymous feedback.

Engagement will focus on communities that were directly impacted by the 2023 evacuations and will include local, regional, territorial (with federal partners) emergency management organizations (EMOs), Indigenous and community governments, residents impacted by the wildfires, territorial employees and senior management, business stakeholders, non-government organizations and legislative members in office at the time.

The final independent review of the 2023 wildfire emergency response will be publicly released in Fall 2024. The findings of the review will inform the decision of whether or not the territory should move forward with a public inquiry.