Every year, thousands of volunteer firefighters protect our province from wildfires.

These local heroes all over British Columbia show great bravery in adversity, stepping into unforgiving, hostile situations to defend our homes and our communities.

Many of BC’s smaller communities rely on volunteer firefighters to keep them safe. Volunteers are well prepared and equipped to enter the harsh environment around a burning wildfire – but tackling the blaze and defending our province is only part of the story.

Supporting our volunteer firefighters

“Volunteer firefighters face extremely challenging situations,” said James Canavan, BCAA Business Continuity Specialist and former volunteer firefighter. “I feel fortunate that the pattern of local fire activity when I served meant that I didn’t go through what must have been a nightmare for so many brave folks who’ve stepped up.

“I remember helping nearby communities facing fires – you go out for hours creating fire breaks and working on defenses, or help get people out safely, then head to bed exhausted. It’s only later that you start to process it and it hits you what’s at stake.”

As part of our Defending Against Wildfires initiative, BCAA is partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association Vancouver-Fraser Branch (CMHA VF) to deliver the Resilient Minds® program, a mental health training program to support volunteer firefighters in BC communities.

“While I was out firefighting, I was thinking constantly about my wife, kid and dog at home in West Kelowna. We were prepared but their safety was definitely on my mind,” explained John Chapman, a BCAA Road Assist Fleet Technician and a volunteer firefighter of 15 years.

“Resilient Minds helps us get ready in a different way – by building up our resources for dealing with very challenging situations and coming through on the other side.”

Defending Against Wildfires

Since 2021, BCAA has partnered with FireSmart BC to take action to prepare and protect BC communities from wildfires, through education, prevention and preparedness.

In 2023, BCAA’s Emergency Relief Fund was activated to provide wildfire relief to our province when it needs us, after the most devastating wildfire season in the province’s history.

These programs has since become the elements of BCAA’s Defending Against Wildfires initiative to help people in BC be more prepared and build back stronger before, during and after wildfires.

Then, in summer 2024, recognizing the mental stress that volunteer firefighters face when protecting their communities, from evacuating their own neighbourhoods to battling wildfires themselves, we partnered with the CMHA VF to protect the heroes that fight for us, the newest initiative under Defending Against Wildfires.

“For us, this is about supporting mental health and providing volunteer firefighters the chance to access critical mental health training and resources that they would've otherwise gone without,” said Shawn Pettipas, BCAA’s Director of Corporate Purpose.

Learn more about BCAA’s partnership with CMHA VF to bring Resilient Minds training to more volunteer firefighters in remote BC communities.