Jasper mayor opens Alberta’s first responder mental health conference

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Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland delivered the opening keynote speech at the inaugural Alberta First Responders’ Mental Health Conference, offering insights gained during the Jasper wildfire about the need for improved mental health support for first responders.

“I agreed to accept this invitation to speak to you this morning primarily to have an opportunity to stand before Alberta’s first responders and on behalf of our entire community to express our most profound gratitude for your exceptional service,” he said.

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More than 400 people packed into an Edmonton Convention Centre hall on Thursday morning for the conference. The first of its kind in Alberta, the conference brought together a variety of first responders, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and correctional officers. It kicked off with Ireland speaking about Jasper’s wildfire and the first responders who fought it.

“At the time of the fire, Jasper had three paid staff in our fire department and somewhere around 30 volunteers and every one of them is a hero in our town, as I am absolutely convinced each of you is a hero in your home communities,” Ireland said.

Embers like ‘burning missiles’

He described the preparation first responders did in the weeks, months, and years before the fire, attributing much of the successful evacuation to the work they did ahead of time. He then described the details of the fire as it happened. The audience sat still and silent as Ireland described the blaze, which climbed roughly 100 metres over treetops at times.

“The embers rained down everywhere, and when I use that expression, I’m not diluting to some soft, gentle springtime rain. It was more like burning missiles,” he said.

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“They were hurtling through the air, driven by these incredibly strong winds, and the air itself was thick with toxic smoke from, at that point, burning structures, burning gas stations, burning vehicles, and mixed, of course, with all the smoke from a now vanished forest.”

Ireland said he wanted to recount the imagery of the fire to give the audience context.

“Imagine seeing that coming. I imagine it, and I imagine I wouldn’t have stuck around, but that is the role of first responders and firefighters,” said Ireland.

A new reality

He discussed how the new normal with fires, like other natural disasters, is that they’re more frequent and intense than ever before, which he said is affecting first responders in more amplified ways than ever before.

“There is now a new reality in terms of fire behaviour and fire intensity. (You can) expect there is (also) a new reality in terms of dramatic impact on first responders, and so we must all learn to prepare for that new reality,” he said.

He commended the Ontario government for a recent announcement of investing more than $32 million toward a program to ensure first responders have access to crucial mental health support.

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Organizer and Wounded Warriors Canada CEO Scott Maxwell said Ireland’s words to kick off the conference “left everyone with a very profound message.”

“Opening keynotes are always about setting the stage about why we’re here, and I think it was clear as a bell from his remarks around why we’re here,” said Maxwell.

The Alberta conference was planned when Maxwell was approached at the Ontario conference by members of the Alberta government who wanted to host one. Aiming for just 300 attendees, Alberta’s reception of the conference exceeded their expectations.

“It’s a statement of fact around the need, around the desire to come together, not silo each other, but collaborate, co-operate, communicate as a sector,” he said.

Currently, Alberta and Ontario are the only two provinces with a First Responders Mental Health Conference, but Maxwell hopes others follow suit.

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