Imagine opening Facebook late one evening and the first post you see is about a wildfire in your municipality. Concerned, you click for details. The fire is less than six kilometres from your home — too close for comfort. The post isn’t from the municipality or emergency services, but from another resident. Stepping outside, you can see flames in the distance. Wildfires move fast. Why didn’t you receive an alert? Should you evacuate? How will you know if you must?
These were the questions a Gracefield resident faced on October 20 when the Johnson Mountain fire broke out. Fortunately, she contacted a friend on a neighbouring fire department who reassured her that if evacuation became necessary, firefighters would come door to door. But what if she hadn’t known someone to call? Where would she have found urgent information then?
In a digital world full of communication tools, our emergency systems often seem to be used inefficiently. Pontiac residents have been jolted awake at 2 am by alerts about a custody dispute in Montreal when a parent hasn’t returned a child on time, yet a wildfire practically in your backyard triggers nothing. Another example occurred during the armed dispute in Waltham this past June. Reports circulated of a man walking through the
village with a firearm. The former mayor went to Facebook to warn residents, but those not on social media received no notice. No official alert was issued, even though the risk was real.
The incident ended peacefully, but it draws uncomfortable parallels to the 2020 Portapique tragedy in Nova Scotia. A gunman disguised as a police officer killed 22 people over 13 hours. No emergency alert was sent; the public was updated through Twitter instead. In response, a federal and provincial Mass Casualty Commission produced recommendations, later informing a national RCMP policy on alerts. They emphasized that when an active threat exists, information must be shared quickly, warnings must reach as many people as
possible, and personnel must be trained to recognize when alerts are necessary and how best to issue them.
So why, two years later, are we still relying on Facebook posts or leaving residents unaware during emergencies? If Weather Network alerts can warn us of 15 cm of snow days in advance, why can’t similar notifications be used during a wildfire?
We need more training, awareness and collaboration among police, SOPFEU, emergency services and municipal officials on Alert Ready, Canada’s national public alerting system. Instead of waking people for distant disputes, issue timely warnings for real local threats, and provide evacuation information clearly. Don’t leave residents guessing. We have the tools — now let’s use them.
