Executive summary
- The CRA allows fire departments to ensure their levels of service, programs and activities for public fire safety education, fire safety standards and enforcement, and emergency response directly address the identified risks and the preferred treatment option(s).
- Risks are prioritized on the probability of occurrence and impact they would have on the community; fire departments must use this information to determine which risks to address and how best to manage them.
- While the CRA is a standalone report it may also be used as a reference/companion document to other fire department plans and programs. The information provided from this CRA process was used to help form some of the recommendations that will be provided as part of the City’s Fire Master Plan (forthcoming Q2 2022).
- The Fire Master Plan and Community Risk Assessment will guide and support decision-making and set strategic priorities for the BFD over the next ten years (2022 – 2032), ensuring sustainable, efficient and effective delivery of fire services to the community.
Climate implications
- Burlington fire response times have a direct link and impact to the environment.
- Through effective and efficient response, and on scene tactical efforts, Burlington firefighters work quickly to extinguish a fire, mitigating potential environment impact due to an incident, such as toxins, chemicals and carcinogens (e.g. asbestos) that are found or occur during/after a fire.
- In addition, there are established agreements to support a timely response by third-party provided services to mitigate environmental impacts, where possible, such as a hazardous material calls that would require specialized response and cleanup efforts.
- Furthermore, Burlington fire is continually researching, retrofitting and/or procuring available options to support climate actions to mitigate greenhouse gases (GHGs) and reduce energy consumption.