Emergency Management FireSmart funding guidelines

On this page

• Purpose
• Activities
• Application process
• Eligible expenditures
• Funding
• Reporting requirements
• Contact information

Purpose

Indigenous Services Canada’s (ISC) FireSmart program stream is intended to provide First Nations, tribal councils and Indigenous emergency management organizations with funding for wildland fire preparedness and mitigation on reserve.

The FireSmart program is separate from the FireSmart Canada program.

Activities

Examples of activities supported through this program include:

Application process

The 2025 to 2026 period to submit proposals is now open. Proposals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until funding is exhausted.

1. Complete the Emergency Management FireSmart Program project funding application:
   • For the 2025 to 2026 application form:
     • enter ‘6978382' in the Filter items box on the Proposals, applications, work plans web page
2. Submit the form to your ISC regional office emergency management contact.

If your First Nation community is in British Columbia, contact First Nations Emergency Services Society for instructions and the application procedures:

Amanda Reynolds, Mitigation Manager
Email: areynolds@fness.bc.ca
Telephone: 778-694-9982
Kamloops Office: 250-377-7600 ext. 205

Applications are reviewed based on the following, unless otherwise stated by the applicable regional office:

• Community risk:
  • Has the community or applicant experienced an emergency event in the past?
  • What is the regional risk for wildland fire disasters?
• Impact of the project:
  • How will the project strengthen the community's capacity to mitigate against, respond to and recover from disasters?
  • How many people will directly benefit from the project?
  • How well does the project incorporate multiple groups in the community, for example, does it engage with youth, women, elders and leadership?
• Feasibility of the project:
  • How is the project described, including a detailed work plan and budget, project feasibility?
• Eligibility of expenditures:
  • Expenditures will be assessed against established criteria
• Previous FireSmart funding received:
  • The program objective is to reach as many First Nations communities as possible to assist in disaster preparedness. Communities that have not previously benefited from the program supports will be given priority over returning applicants

Applicants will be notified by the regional office on the status of their application and eligibility.

Eligible expenditures

The following is a list of eligible expenditures to be used as an example of the types of expenditures that are eligible. Applicants may also refer to Emergency Management Assistance Program's terms and conditions and their regional office for additional information on eligible expenses.

Eligible expenditures may include, but are not limited to:

• wildland fire emergency management training, onsite or off-site
• wildland firefighting equipment and related items, such as chainsaws or wildland fire personal protective equipment (PPE)
• wildland fire preparedness, such as vegetation management costs
• in-community workshops and attendance or hosting wildland fire emergency management forums
• wildland fire mapping or fire risk studies, including fire risk mapping, fuel type mapping, mapping of economically or culturally significant sites
• conducting research and recording Indigenous knowledge pertaining to emergency management and climate change
• consultant fees to source expertise outside the community, if required
• rental of equipment for mock exercises
• signage, such as posters and other public awareness documentation
• administrative fees, not exceeding 10% of the total funding request

Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• purchase of equipment costing over $10,000 or capital equipment items^{Footnote 1}
• installation of equipment
• benefits, see Employee Benefit Program under ISC
• food or meals, unless as part of travel, for example, community members are training, working or participating in a forum or workshop outside of their community as part of the proposed project
• insurance
• first aid or emergency management kits or evacuation boxes
• gifts or honorarium, with the exception of an honorarium for an elder at an event
• salaries for existing employees funded by another Government of Canada program, for example, any activities and or salaries for which the band receives existing funding through another program
• interest and banking fees

Funding

Transfer payments to funding recipients will be made in the form of a set or flexible contribution, depending on the eligibility of the recipient and the duration of the project. The funding approach used to transfer funds will be identified in the recipient's signed funding agreement. Your ISC regional office emergency management contact can inform you about eligibility for these different funding approaches.

Under set contribution funding all unexpended funds remaining at the end of each fiscal year will be reimbursed to ISC.

Under flexible contribution funding, during the period of the funding agreement or the program, service, project or activity, the recipient may retain unexpended funding remaining at the end of each fiscal year for use in the next fiscal year to further achieve results toward the program, service, project or activity objectives funded. Any unexpended funding remaining at the expiry of the funding agreement or the completion of the program, service project or activity will be reimbursed to ISC.

Reporting requirements

The reporting requirements are listed in the recipient's funding agreement. Details on these requirements are available in the Reporting Guide. The ID for the data collection instruments (DCIs) required from EMAP recipients, which can be found in the Reporting Guide, is 4548549. Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their reporting requirements are met and reports are accurate and submitted on or before the due dates.

Contact information

To learn more about non-structural mitigation and preparedness funding, contact your ISC regional office emergency management contact.