Join the National Resilient Fire Departments Cohort—a free opportunity to strengthen fire departments’ critical infrastructure.

Deadline to Register: September 30, 2026

Is your fire department planning upgrades to your facility or systems? Join the CRIS National Fire Department Cohort to receive free expert consulting that can help you improve energy performance and strengthen climate resiliency. 

Whether you're renovating an existing station or planning a new project, you can sign up to receive tailored guidance to help your infrastructure better withstand wildfire risks, maintain operations during emergencies, reduce energy costs, and improve long-term reliability and efficiency.   

In partnership with the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS), the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) is inviting members to participate in this national cohort at no cost. 

What You'll Gain

Fire departments in the cohort will receive: 

  • One-on-one technical support from infrastructure and resilience experts 
  • Project-specific recommendations to improve climate resilience, energy performance, and operational continuity 
  • Assistance identifying funding opportunities to maximize your infrastructure investment 

Submission Criteria 

To be eligible for this cohort, projects must meet the following criteria: 

  • Ownership: Eligible infrastructure assets must be owned and operated by a local government, municipality, band council, other Indigenous local governing body, or by a non-profit organization that is delivering fire services in partnership with a local government in Canada. 
  • Project Type: Fire and Emergency Facilities or Water Systems 
  • Population: The fire department serves a population of approximately 30,000 or less.  
  • Project Stage: The infrastructure project should be planned or in progress, beyond the idea stage. To show that the project is a demonstrated priority for the fire department, local government or band council, it should be included in an official strategic document (e.g., capital plan, asset management plan, OCP) or have formal acknowledgement as a priority from a senior authority from your community (e.g., Fire Chief, Chief Administrative Officer, band council, board of directors). 

Participating Fire Departments should be members of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. If this is a barrier to your participation, please contact Tina Saryeddine, Executive Director, at tsaryeddine@cafc.ca

Eligible project areas include: 

  • HVAC upgrades for air filtration, wildfire resilient building materials, and design recommendations for wildfire resilient firehalls.  
  • Mechanical systems and building envelope improvements (e.g., insulation, roofing) for energy efficiency and emissions reduction in firehalls.  
  • Climate hazard identification and targeted upgrades to reduce risk for climate hazards in firehalls.  
  • Sprinkler system and wildfire urban interface planning  
  • Emergency power systems, backup battery systems and solar photovoltaic systems 

If you're exploring a project not listed, reach out—we may still be able to support it. For application support, contact Ellie Simpson, esimpson@canurb.org  

How To Get Involved

Sign up through the CAFC Membership page. Participants register through a simple online form detailing their basic information and project context.

Register to join the cohort before September 30th at 11:59PM PT!

About the Fire Departments Cohort

Explore our FAQs to find everything you need to know about the National Resilient Fire Department cohort delivered by CRIS and the CAFC

Each participating fire department will receive:

  • Up to 60 hours of personalized expert support to identify retrofit options, and plan for low-carbon, resilient upgrades.
  • Virtual peer learning session with other local government representatives working on similar projects.
  • A technical options report to help bridge the gap between planning and implementation.
  • Support in aligning your project with potential future funding opportunities. 

This cohort is designed for projects related to upgrading fire and emergency services infrastructure. This includes work on: 

  • HVAC upgrades for air filtration, wildfire resilient building materials, and design recommendations for wildfire resilient firehalls. 
  • Mechanical systems and building envelope improvements (e.g., insulation, roofing) for energy efficiency and emissions reduction in firehalls. 
  • Climate hazard identification and targeted upgrades to reduce risk for climate hazards in firehalls. 
  • Sprinkler system and wildfire urban interface planning 
  • Emergency power systems, backup battery systems and solar photovoltaic systems 
  • Other infrastructure projects not included in this list. If the type of project you’d like to pursue is not included in this list, please inquire about eligibility.  

No. Participation in the CRIS Cohort program is fully funded through the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS), facilitated by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the Government of Canada. There is no cost to fire departments.

This cohort will operate between October 2026 and February 2027. Participants should be prepared to: 

  • Attend an intake meeting to develop your project scope with the CRIS team (Approx. 30 minutes)
  • Meet with your matched expert as needed to support expert technical analysis.
  • Join a peer learning session to gain insights on funding opportunities o move projects forward (virtual, approx. 90 minutes)

All other work is completed directly between the municipality and their assigned expert. 

The entire cohort is delivered virtually to maximize flexibility and minimize time away from day-to-day operations. 

Learn More about Cohorts

Interested in getting involved in a CRIS Cohort in your province or territory? Learn about our other ongoing cohort opportunities offered with trusted national partners.

CRIS Cohorts