Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up those questions which I asked about the fire department in Norman Wells. My question is about whether the department is working on standards for fire departments across the Northwest Territories. I understand that that is not currently in place. Is the Minister taking steps to standardize fire department funding and operations across the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are standards for fire provision within the Northwest Territories. Our Office of the Fire Marshal works closely with the communities to develop safety plans in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'm talking more about fire departments. As I think we're all aware, firefighting is a dangerous undertaking. I appreciate the Minister's response that community members are willing to pitch in. I think that having trained firefighters is a better solution.
It's my understanding there aren't trained firefighters in every Northwest Territories community, so I'm wondering whether the Minister is considering making changes to ensure that there are fire departments and trained firefighters up and running in every community?
As stated, the responsibility for fire departments is the municipalities', and we work closely with the communities to define what they see as their capital assets. Some communities are still working on water treatment plants. Some communities want recreation centres. Some communities want arenas. Some communities already want the fire department. So it would be inappropriate for me to go to every community in the Northwest Territories and say, "You need to put all your capital asset planning on hold because I'm telling you as the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs that you're going to put in a fire department. That is your number one priority."
We work closely with them. We provide training to them. We provide assessments. The office of the fire marshal goes in to work with them to try to make them understand their safety, their needs, and then once they have done that and defined their needs, we work closely with them to support them in making sure that their community has the needs to ensure if a fire happens that they can be dealt with at the community level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The other thing I want to say, though, is that, if it comes to a territorial, if it gets out of hand, we watch closely. If a house is on fire, that might be something that I don't get told of right away, but if it's in danger of spreading, I am told right away, and then the territorial government has an obligation and we will go in there and make sure -- not only us. I mean, we work with other jurisdictions. We work with Canada to make sure that fires are addressed within the Northwest Territories.
I'm working from memory here about the Office of the Auditor General report that was produced last year. It looked at things like water plant operators and training. It looked at waste disposal, and it looked at fire departments. What it found is that the fire departments are very ad hoc, that there is a need to standardize the operation of fire departments across the NWT. I have not yet heard the Minister talk about whether she is willing to undertake that work.
All of the recommendations within the Auditor General's report are being implemented. We have said that many times through standing committee, in the House, whenever the questions have come up. We are committed to addressing all of the recommendations that were identified in that. We were actually working with the community of Norman Wells, prior to the Auditor General's report, on assessing their fire needs. Our Office of the Fire Marshal is working diligently at this time, going into the communities to assess their needs, to reassess their needs, to define what is needed, to support them in doing that. Once that is done, we will bring that information to the communities. Our job is to support the communities. We will put that information in front of the community municipal governments or designated authorities and help them to define what they need. Some communities do not have the infrastructure needed or the ability to have a full fire department, but we look at how we can support them in address their needs in case of fire. We do not let our communities go without support. I really want to emphasize that Municipal and Community Affairs, the department, the staff, are totally committed to supporting communities, and we do everything in our power to provide that support. I appreciate that department.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's good news that the fire marshal is travelling the communities of the NWT to assess their needs. Could the Minister tell us when his report will be ready and whether the needs will be funded in the next business plan? Thank you.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is not doing a general report and saying, "This is what we need everywhere." He is working closely with the communities to actually bring it forward. When that is done, when he does his assessment, we, the regional staff for Municipal and Community Affairs, work with the community governments to bring that information forward on a community-by-community basis.
Safety is a priority over all other things, so we bring that forward to the community, and we work with the community to define what their needs are and how we can support them. Again, we provide training; we provide first responder training; through our school of the community government, we provide training. We have other assets in a lot of the communities, such as people that have trained. Our forest firefighters, they are spread out throughout the Northwest Territories, those members, and I do give credit to them. They have an honourable job. Anyplace where there are airports, we have people who are trained in providing that service. So it's not like our communities are left with nothing, and, if the community has nothing, we will fly in, we will help that community. Safety is number one, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
