WESTLOCK — Westlock County chief administrative officer (CAO) Tony Kulbisky will be providing his expertise as a firefighter for more than 15 years to a new provincial working group whose purpose is to establish a long-term strategy for the management of wildfires outside of Forest Protection Areas.
During their April 23 meeting, Westlock County councillors passed a motion for Reeve Christine Wiese to sign a letter of support and to appoint Kulbisky to the working group, which is being established by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).
Last November, RMA members passed a resolution to have the association engage with the Alberta Government, Alberta Municipalities (AM), and the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (ACFA) to develop a long-term strategy for managing wildland fire events outside of Forest Protection Areas.
The resolution also called for the RMA to collaborate with the province, AM and the ACFA to establish a working group consisting of municipal and subject matter experts, elected officials and senior municipal administrators. The purpose of this working group is to develop the long-term strategy.
All meetings of this working group will be held at the RMA office in Nisku unless otherwise stated, which Kulbisky suggested basically means they will hold meetings over Zoom.
The group will meet roughly once a month until Oct. 31, 2024, though due to the unpredictability of the wildfire season, the frequency and term of these meetings may be extended.
The letter of support will indicates Westlock County will handle per diem costs related to Kulbisky’s participation, though the RMA itself will reimburse group members for travel, accommodation, and meal expenses.
Coun. Sherry Provencal asked Kulbisky if he truly wanted to take on this responsibility.
“You are on a lot of things, and we appreciate that,” she said. “I just want to make sure that this is your choice and you’re not pushed into it.”
Noting that he had discussed the matter with Wiese prior to the April 23 meeting, Kulbisky said he believed he could offer the working group some sound advice and insight based on his experience as a firefighter.
“I think I have time to do it,” he said.
