Presenter

Delivered by an emergency management subject-matter expert with extensive experience supporting local governments and fire agencies in managing escalating and multi-agency incidents.

Audience

Open to all fire service, emergency management, First Nations, and local government personnel involved in response coordination, planning, or leadership roles at the incident, departmental, or EOC level.

No formal prerequisites are required – this session is valuable for both operations-level leaders and those seeking to better understand the command-to-coordination interface during complex incidents.

Overview

This half-day Summit Lab explores how the PPOST framework – Priorities, Problems, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics – can be applied to strengthen decision-making and coordination as incidents grow in scale and complexity.

Participants will follow the evolution of a complex incident response from “Engine-1 on scene” to full EOC activation, learning how structured information flow, role clarity, and alignment of objectives improve outcomes across agencies and levels of command.

Through discussion, scenario work, and applied examples, the session highlights how field leaders and EOC staff can work in sync to manage competing priorities, maintain situational awareness, and adapt effectively under pressure.

Learning Focus

Participants will:

• Learn how to apply the PPOST framework to manage escalating incidents and maintain operational focus.
• Understand how to translate field priorities into clear objectives and strategies within an EOC structure.
• Strengthen coordination between incident command, departmental operations centres, and emergency management partners.
• Explore communication pathways that support timely, accurate decision-making under stress.
• Examine real-world examples demonstrating the value of structured planning and leadership alignment during WUI and all-hazards responses.

Format

A half-day, interactive workshop combining expert presentation, facilitated discussion, and group scenario exercises. Participants will leave with practical tools to improve coordination and decision-support between the field, command post, and EOC during complex incidents.

Presenter

Delivered by members of the BC Wildfire Service Predictive Services Unit, specializing in fire weather forecasting, behaviour analysis, and operational planning support for incident and provincial coordination.

Audience

Open to all fire service, emergency management, First Nations and local government personnel involved in operational planning, incident management, or Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) response.

This session will be of particular interest to those seeking to better understand how fire weather science and predictive tools can enhance tactical and strategic decision-making. No formal prerequisites are required.

Overview

This half-day Summit Lab connects forecasting and fire behaviour prediction directly to operational decision-making on the fireline and in planning roles. Participants will explore how the BCWS Predictive Services Unit develops and communicates forecasts, indices, and outlooks — and how those products can be used to anticipate risk, set objectives, and make proactive tactical choices before conditions deteriorate.

Through a blend of science, operations, and case-based discussion, the session will show how integrating predictive services into daily planning cycles improves situational awareness, resource prioritization, and safety outcomes.

Learning Focus

Participants will:

• Develop a practical understanding of how fire weather forecasts and indices inform fire behaviour prediction and operational readiness.
• Learn to interpret predictive products to support local and regional planning decisions.
• Explore case studies where accurate forecasting influenced tactics, safety, and success.
• Strengthen communication pathways between field leadership, operations staff, and predictive service specialists.
• Identify opportunities to embed fire weather awareness into daily briefings, IAPs, and WUI response planning.

Format

A half-day, interactive workshop featuring expert presentation, facilitated discussion, and applied exercises using real-world data. Participants will leave with enhanced confidence in interpreting and applying fire weather information to operational and strategic planning.