EDITORIAL – Eby’s emergencies task force is an imperfect but logical approach

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

ANOTHER TASK FORCE, another report that will gather dust.

That’s the cynical reaction to Premier David Eby’s plan to get “experts” to examine B.C.’s emergency response needs. Opposition politicians are already blasting him for not just doing stuff instead.

But if Eby had taken immediate steps deviating from past practices before the fire season is even over, he’d be accused of kneejerk reactions without proper study.

To be sure, the task force plan has apparent shortcomings. For example, it doesn’t appear to have a broad public input component the way the Gary Filmon inquiry did after the 2003 wildfires. Filmon held hearings throughout the province.

Neither will it be independent, as the Chapman-Abbott investigation was in 2018.

But it does have some positives. After the 2003 fires, the Liberal government was quick to call Filmon in to look at what went wrong. His “Firestorm” assessment was ready well in time for the next fire season.

But after the 2017 season, the NDP dawdled until late December before appointing former cabinet minister George Abbot and indigenous leader Maureen Chapman, who didn’t have time to produce their “New Normal” report until the next season was upon us.

Eby seems to have taken some lessons from the past, and is acting quickly.

Neither is it fair to say recommendations in past reports have been ignored. Both internal and external communications have been improved. Prevention programs have been developed. Jurisdictional issues between fire services have been fixed.

Eby’s task force takes special aim at criticisms over the handling of volunteer firefighting efforts in the Shuswap. He says it will look at increasing volunteer recruitment and collaboration with communities and First Nations.

As for criticisms that the mandate of the group is too broad, Chapman-Abbott included floods in its review but drought and heat were not the issues they are now — there are no seasons left without emergencies.

It makes sense to look at the whole picture.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.