Topic: CF Domestic Disaster Relief Ops (merged)

[milnews.ca]

Getting busier?

The Canadian Forces have supported municipal and provincial authorities in Ontario in evacuating 385 residents threatened by wildfires in the communities of Fort Hope and Sandy Lake. That number continues to climb as Canadian Forces aircraft continue the airlift of threatened Canadians out of Sandy Lake .... Beginning on Sunday, members of the Eabametoong First Nation were evacuated by the Canadian Forces from Fort Hope to Greenstone (Geraldton), Ontario using a CC-130 Hercules military transport aircraft tasked from 424 Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton. In total, 265 people were transported to safety, with the operation ceasing as of Monday morning. Ten members of the 3rd Canadian Rangers Patrol Group assisted in this evacuation effort by coordinating logistics, communicating with families and in the loading of the aircraft. Beginning today, members of the Sandy Lake First Nation were evacuated from Sandy Lake to Sioux Lookout using a CC-130 Hercules aircraft tasked from 435 Squadron at 17 Wing Winnipeg. In total, 120 people were transported to safety as of late Monday afternoon. Fourteen Canadian Rangers also supported the Sandy Lake evacuation ....

Source:  CF news release, 19 Jul 11

[milnews.ca]

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) and Member of Parliament for Parry Sound-Muskoka, and Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora and Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs, were in Dryden today to meet with members of communities recently affected by wildfires ....  To date this month, the Canadian Forces have supported municipal and provincial authorities in Ontario in evacuating 1,896 residents threatened by wildfires .... Under the direction of Canada Command, the Canadian Forces have provided airlift using CC-130 Hercules military transport aircraft tasked from 8 Wing Trenton and 17 Wing Winnipeg. Since Monday evening, 386 additional people were evacuated from Sandy Lake and were brought to Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay. Also, 123 people were evacuated from Keewaywin to Greenstone (Geraldton). Canadian Forces aircraft are currently involved in evacuating individuals from Sandy Lake .... Canada Command is continuing to monitor the current forest fire situation in the northern Ontario and remains prepared to support communities at risk of being affected by smoke or threatened by fire.

Source:  Government of Canada news release, 20 Jul 11

[Bass ackwards]

It sounds like they're having a real go-'round with those fires. A news report I read yesterday said there were already two thousand firefighters working on that.
Yesterday morning, it was so smoky here in Thompson that we were all wondering if we had a good fire burning just outside of town somewhere. Turned out to be smoke from the Ontario fires.

[Sparkplugs]

Just proud to see that the good ol' Hercs are helping out, and that my hometown (Greenstone) is taking in lots of evacs as well.  =)  My mother was telling me that there's so much ash in the air they can't leave the windows open because it covers everything!

[milnews.ca]

Since Wednesday evening, the Canadian Forces have evacuated over 500 more Canadians from northern Ontario communities, which continue to be threatened by wildfires. Five Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules transport aircraft began flying at first light this morning from Winnipeg, Manitoba, picking up people from Sandy Lake, Kingfisher Lake and Deer Lake First Nations communities and delivering them to Thunder Bay, Ontario .... Working alongside federal, municipal and provincial partners in the forest fire-ravaged communities, hundreds of Canadian Forces personnel, including aircrew, planning staff and Canadian Rangers, are involved in the ongoing disaster relief effort known as Operation FORGE .... Operation FORGE is the Canadian Forces contribution to the Whole-of-Government effort to assist the Government of Ontario in the emergency evacuation of Canadians threatened by the current wildfires. This support is currently provided mainly through airlift conducted by CC-130 Hercules aircraft from 14 Wing in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario, and 17 Wing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canadian Rangers from the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group are also assisting in some communities by coordinating the logistical plans, loading aircraft and communicating with the families of the community members. In addition to Canadian Rangers, the CF also deployed ground coordination teams to assist with organizing community members onto military aircraft for evacuation. Since the beginning of July, the Canadian Forces has evacuated over 3,000 residents from the communities of Deer Lake, Cat Lake, Fort Hope, Keewaywin, Kingfisher Lake, Kasabonika and Sandy Lake.

Source:  CF news release, 21 Jul 11

[milnews.ca]

Operation FORGE: CF Air Operations Cease After Airlifting More Than 3,600 Northern Ontario Residents To Safety
NR11.087 - July 22, 2011

After successfully evacuating more than 3,600 residents from seven northern Ontario communities that had been threatened by wildfires, Canadian Forces airlift is no longer needed as part of the Province of Ontario-led evacuation efforts .... Six CC-130 Hercules military transport aircraft flew a total of 42 missions, evacuating 3,614 people from Deer Lake, Cat Lake, Fort Hope, Keewaywin, Kingfisher Lake, Kasabonika and Sandy Lake since July 6, 2011.  Half of those flights took place in the past three days .... Working alongside federal, provincial and municipal partners in evacuating citizens from the forest fire-ravaged areas of northern Ontario, hundreds of Canadian Forces personnel from across the country were involved in Operation FORGE.  These include air and ground crew from Winnipeg, Manitoba; Trenton, Ontario; and Greenwood, Nova Scotia, as well as planning staff from Petawawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Ottawa. Over 50 Canadian Rangers from the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group were mobilized in 14 communities across northern Ontario to assist with the evacuations by working with military ground coordination teams.  Operation FORGE is the Canadian Forces contribution to the Whole-of-Government effort to assist the Government of Ontario in the emergency evacuation of Canadians threatened by wildfires.

[Medic65726]

I was in Cat Lake that day, on a MEDEVAC aircraft, getting out some of the elders with complex health issues (none of which were helped by he smoke they were inhaling). Two hercs were flying back and forth to Greenstone (Geraldton) with loads of evacuees. Incredible well organized, they were really minimizing their time on the ground, with groups of residents organized in the terminal building, names being checked off on lists by the Rangers and then escorted to the Hercs by the SARTECHS. We were there until after 0100 and they worked through the night getting people out.
Sorry for the horrible photo, but there are not a lot of ramp lights in Cat Lake and I only had my phone to take pics. We did our part of course and took a plane full.

[john10]

Great work, Medic 

[milnews.ca]

Manitoba Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson says the province is considering asking the Canadian Forces for help getting fuel, food and other critical supplies to remote First Nations this winter.  Earlier this week, northern chiefs declared a state of emergency, hoping to spur the provincial and federal governments to create a contingency plan for the fact the winter road network is delayed by several weeks.  obinson said Friday he is preparing to do just that. "I'm prepared to contact the Canadian military to help out," he said. "There are some communities with airstrips which can accommodate bigger aircraft."  Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief David Harper was thrilled to hear the idea.  "That would be awesome," he said. "That would be exactly the kind of response we are looking for." ....

Winnipeg Free Press via Postmedia News, 14 Jan 12

More on the state of emergency declared by the Chiefs here.

[Rifleman62]

Earlier this week, northern chiefs declared a state of emergency

, but the province has not. The CF is not to be in completion with private enterprise. If an air carrier can do the task, then the job goes out to bid.

If an emergency is declared and federal assistance is requested, that is a different matter. The province still pays (unless the Feds forgive the cost), but probably at a smaller amount.

My understanding of Region Ops.

[milnews.ca]

The CF is not to be in competition with private enterprise. If an air carrier can do the task, then the job goes out to bid.

I've heard the same thing in other situations, too.

[GAP]

It may be unseasonably warm in the southern parts, but that cold mantle has pretty much stalled over a large part of the areas where reserves are.....there will be winter roads, but we are likely only looking at 15-25 days of travel....it's going to be tight, but has happened before.