Global pandemic or not, nothing is going to stop wildfire season. Saskatchewan’s wildfire crews have been busy preparing for the fiery months, but with a different approach than usual because of COVID-19. “Because we are an essential service, we are taking extra precautions to ensure that we remain viable because we are not part of … allowing COVID to be spread throughout our agency,” said Steve Roberts, acting vice president of operations for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
As a result, the province has avoided large group training with its 300-some seasonal recruits, Roberts said. Instead, classroom-style training is being done in smaller groups or remotely.