National Indigenous Fire Safety Council
Conseil national autochtone de la sécurité-incendie

Indigenous Public Safety Conference and National Firefighting Competition 2024

The IPS Conference and 35th National Firefighting Competition will be held on October 22 - 26 in Richmond British Columbia, at the River Rock Resort & Casino.

Thank you to all our speakers who've registered for the 2024 Indigenous Public Safety Conference!

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Pre-Conference Accredited Training Opportunities - Oct 22 - 23 - Register Here
2024 IPS Conference - Oct 24 - 25 -
Register Here
2024 IPS Conference Tradeshow - Oct 24 - 25 -
Register Here
35th annual National Firefighting Competition - Saturday, October 26

Please check back regularly for updates and information.

Venue, Dates & Easy SkyTrain Access

We are excited to welcome you to the Indigenous Public Safety Conference from October 22 to 25, 2024, in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, at the River Rock Casino Resort. This event promises to be a remarkable gathering, and we’re looking forward to your participation.

Location and Transportation:

The River Rock Casino Resort is conveniently located along the Vancouver SkyTrain line. Upon arrival at YVR Airport, you can easily access the SkyTrain from the Domestic and International Terminals, just across from the Parkade.

1. SkyTrain Details:

- Board the SkyTrain at YVR Airport Station.
- Travel to Bridgeport Station, which is directly connected to the River Rock Casino Resort.

2. Payment Options:

- You can use the “tap” payment method with your bank debit cards.
- For credit card users, please utilize the SkyTrain payment machines located near the station entrances.

Please note that NIFSC will not be able to provide transportation from the airport. We recommend using the SkyTrain for easy and convenient travel, or you may opt for other transportation services such as Taxi or Uber.

Please find SkyTrain Maps here

Pre-Conference Training Sessions

The NIFSC is excited to announce the following pre-conference training opportunities. The training courses will take place on October 22 and 23, 2024. Pre-conference training sessions are available for $50. Each participant can register for one training session.

Auto Extrication - Alternate Fuel Vehicles (1-Day)

Instructor: Kevin Patterson
Certificate of Participation

Come join us for a look at extrication from electric vehicles, Tesla will be the model provided. This course focuses on competency-based training for the foundational knowledge and practical skills to utilize auto extrication rescue techniques safely and effectively. This course is for Emergency Responders and individuals that may approach an electric vehicle and remove someone who is medically or physically trapped or pinned and unable to exit a vehicle. You will be challenged to develop discipline, situational awareness, and professionalism.

Building Codes Introduction

Instructor: Leon Smallboy from Indigenous Fire Marshal Service
16 hours applied towards Fire Inspection certification

Introduction to the National Fire Code - 2019 Alberta Edition (NFC(AE)) and the National Building Code - 2019 Alberta Edition (NBC(AE)) explains the purpose and function of each code relative to the position of a fire officer. This course introduces how the codes are developed, updated, and organized, and how they relate to each other. The course outlines the powers of enforcement the fire officer has.

Course Requirements: Students are required to bring a laptop and the book, “National Building Code of Canada 2020 and the workbook National Fire Code of Canada 2020" which will be required for reference during the training. Available for purchase from the Virtual Bookstore at the National Research Council of Canada. Both books are also available for free online at nrc.canada.ca.

Community Wildfire Protection Plans

Instructor: Kenzie Hartt from The Ember Alliance
International Association of Wildland Fire recognized training

Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are a tool used in creating fire-adapted communities in the United States. They are planning processes that bring local partners to a shared vision of wildfire mitigation and adaptation for their community. This course will help fire departments, forest/fire/water- shed community groups, and local government staff to write their own clear and actionable CWPPs. Learn and discuss how to empower leaders to better engage with their communities, identify and prioritize key projects, and open the path to collaboration for successful project implementation.

Fire Life Safety Educator

Instructor: Paul Knudsgaard from Justice Institute of British Columbia
Pro-board FLSE certification for credit–JIBC

Learners will explore the myths and realities of fire, human behavior during fire emergencies. Learn strategies to effectively reach a variety of audiences.

Course Requirements: Students are required to bring a laptop and the textbook: Giesler, M. P. (2018). Fire and life safety educator: Principles and practice, (2nd ed.). Jones and Bartlett. Available for purchase in several locations including Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and Amazon. There will be free access to JIBC’s on-line books during the course as well. (Limited to 3 users at a time.)

Resilient Minds

Instructor: Steve Fraser from Canadian Mental Health Association
CHMA Resilient Minds Certification

Resilient Minds is dedicated to educating and equipping firefighters with the skills to grow and maintain psychological wellness.

Traditional Fire Knowledge (1-Day)

Instructor: Arnold Lazare from Indigenous Fire Marshal Service
8 credit hours applied towards Fire Inspector certification

Learn about the practice of cultural burning that has been carried out since time immemorial by Indigenous peoples. Discover what remains of traditional fire knowledge, and how the practice could positively affect modern wildland firefighting, ecosystem restoration, cultural revitalization, and biodiversity. The Traditional Fire Knowledge course establishes a baseline knowledge for Indigenous peoples regarding historical cultural burning activities across Canada, and how these practices are being acknowledged as a critical part of future of forest management.

Wildland Fire S100

Instructor: Anthony Jumeau from Fireforce
Wild Fire S100 certification

Participants will learn the basic concepts of current strategies and tactics to mitigate and respond to wildland fires.

Pre-Conference Training Course Registration

Conference Program

Exciting news! The conference program for the Indigenous Public Safety Conference is now available!

Conference Session Speakers

The NIFSC is excited to announce the upcoming speakers for the Indigenous Public Safety Conference 2024. The conference sessions will be taking place on October 24 and 25, 2024. Register to attend this years conference sessions for $150. Stay tuned for updates on this year's conference speakers!

Anthony Jumeau 

Arjuna George 

Cheryl Evans 

Dave Robertson

Richard Amnotte

Steven Santelli

Conference Schedule

Full Conference Schedule Now Available. Click Here to Access the Full Conference Schedule

Schedule At A Glance

Conference Registration

Indigenous Public Safety Conference Tradeshow

Attention vendors, suppliers, and partners!

We are excited to announce that the NIFSC 2024 Indigenous Public Safety Conference Tradeshow registration is officially open!

This year’s event will be hosted at the River Rock Resort and Casino in Richmond British Columbia from October 24 to 25.

Last year's tradeshow was a great success, attracting 250 participants from industry experts, fire departments, and community-level firefighters and volunteers. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to showcase your organization and products at our national event.

The National Indigenous Fire Safety Council is introducing a corporate sponsorship opportunity for this year's Indigenous Public Safety Conference Tradeshow. By becoming a corporate sponsor you will unlock exclusive benefits from enhanced visibility for your organization, speaking opportunities during the event, complimentary tradeshow booth, and more great benefits.


Event Details:

Trade Show Day 1, October 24, 2024

- Set up 7:00 am
- Tradeshow opens 8:00 am
- Tradeshow Day 1 concludes 5:30 pm

Tradeshow Day 2, October 25, 2024

- Tradeshow set up 7:30 am
- Tradeshow opens 8:30 am
- Tradeshow Day 2 concludes 12:00 pm

35th Annual National Firefighting Competition

Join the NIFSC for the 35th Annual National Firefighting Competition in Richmond, British Columbia.

For any inquiries regarding regional competitions or details about the 35th Annual National Firefighting Competition, please contact Competition Coordinator Tamara Chenosky Injates at tamara.chenosky.injates@indigenousfiresafety.ca

Regional Teams at the 2024 National Firefighting Competition

British Columbia - Saik'uz First Nation

Alberta - Beaver Lake Cree Nation

Saskatchewan - Regional Team: To Be Determined

Manitoba - Cross Lake Cree Nation

Ontario - Garden River First Nation

Quebec - Kahnawake Mohawk Territory

Atlantic - Tobique First Nation

Northern Team - Regional Team: To Be Determined

2023 National Firefighting Competition

National Firefighting Competition 1st Place Winners

Team Manitoba from Cross Lake First Nation

National Firefighting Competition 2nd Place Winners

Team Alberta from Beaver Lake Cree Nation

National Firefighting Competition 3rd Place Winners

Team British Columbia from Saik'uz First Nation

National Firefighting Competition Most Sportsmanlike Team Winners

Team Atlantic from Eskasoni, Tobique and Elsipogtog First Nations

2023 National Firefighting Competition Teams

Thank you to all the incredible participants, volunteers, judges, and hardworking staff who made the 34th annual competition in Kahnawake First Nation a success.

2023 National Firefighting Competition

Frequently Asked Questions