The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has awarded Transitional Solutions Inc. the contract to conduct an after-action review of the 2023 wildfire emergency response.

Under the terms of the contract, Transitional Solutions Inc will seek input from the public, Indigenous governments, community governments, chambers of commerce, non-government organizations, as well as emergency management partners to identify lessons learned and develop recommendations for improvement.

The review of the emergency response will assess the emergency management activities associated with the 2023 wildfire season. It 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.

Transitional Solutions Inc was one of five proponents that submitted proposals. An open, competitive procurement process was used to award the contract, and the process was coordinated by the GNWT’s Procurement Shared Services and overseen by a three-person Oversight Committee to ensure transparency and fairness. The Committee reviewed the request for proposals submitted, awarded the contract, and will ensure the review is undertaken in a public and transparent manner.

The three members of the Oversight committee – Dr. Mike Flannigan, Danielle Trudeau, and Todd Orvitz – were nominated by the NWT Council of Leaders Secretariat, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight and the GNWT.

The findings of the independent review of the 2023 wildfire emergency response will be publicly released in late 2024.

Quote(s)

“This government has a responsibility to learn, adapt, and strengthen our emergency management systems to safeguard our communities. This Oversight Committee, jointly selected by the GNWT, the Council of Leaders of the Northwest Territories, and the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, will ensure that this review is independent and transparent.

Dr. Mike Flannigan, Danielle Trudeau, and Todd Orvitz bring a wealth of collective expertise in wildfire, emergency management, and northern governance to this review, and I thank them for their efforts to identify the right contractor to undertake what will be the most comprehensive review of its kind in the Northwest Territories. Under their guidance, I am confident that this After-Action Review will help identify areas where we can better prepare for, manage, and recover from future emergencies.”
- R.J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories

Quick facts

• There are two independent reviews of the 2023 Wildfire season:
  • an independent review of wildfire operations (i.e. wildfire management decisions and actions), led by the department of Environment and Climate Change; and
  • an independent review of emergency response (i.e. preparation, evacuations, hosting, supports), which will be overseen by the Oversight Committee.

About the Oversight Committee:

• Dr. Mike Flannigan brings a wealth of wildland fire expertise, including focus on the potential impact of climate change, landscape fire modelling, lightning-ignited fires and the interactions between fire and weather. Dr. Flannigan is the Principle Investigator for the NSERC Canada Wildfire Science & Technology Network and was the Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Wildland Fire from 2002-2008.  Dr. Flannigan currently sits as the BC Innovation Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science, Department of Natural Resource Science at Thompson Rivers University. He is also the Scientific Director of the newly formed Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency.
• Danielle Trudeau is the founder and Executive Director of TopShelf Emergency Management and brings over 15 years of expertise in emergency management and business continuity. With a background spanning across Canada and internationally, she excels in emergency preparedness and planning, mitigation, program development, response and recovery. In 2022, Danielle co-chaired two committees to advance emergency management in Canada and remains dedicated to bolstering resilience nationwide. In 2023, Danielle was recognized with a Merit Award from the International Association of Emergency Managers for her significant contribution to the emergency management field in Canada in recent years.
• Todd Orvitz is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of WOLF Consulting Group, a professional services firm focused on providing a full suite of workforce, operations, logistics and finance solutions for governmental and private-sector clients.  Todd brings considerable experience in Northern Project and Program delivery and Indigenous Governance to the Committee, including through his recent role as Chief Administrative Officer for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation where he was the executive responsible for corporate operations, administration and governance. Todd has spent several years working in northern communities and has accomplished significant outcomes for his clients across the NWT.

Related links

• GNWT releases Request for Proposal for independent review of 2023 wildfire emergency response
• Have Your Say – Wildfire Management Annual Engagement
• Infographic on timelines for Wildfire Operations review and Emergency Response Review

For media requests, please contact:

Adetoyeke Adedipe

Senior Communications Officer

Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs

Government of the Northwest Territories

Adetoyeke_Adedipe@gov.nt.ca