ESQUIMALT, BC—Fire departments across the Capital Region have taken a significant step forward in firefighter safety through the development of a unified Mayday procedure, ensuring a coordinated and effective response when firefighters face life-threatening emergencies on the fireground.
A Mayday event occurs when a firefighter is in immediate, life-threatening danger and requires urgent assistance. In these situations, the firefighter will call “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” over the radio to signal distress.
This can include incidents such as structural collapse, entrapment, becoming disoriented, a failure of their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), or any situation the firefighter determines to be immediately life-threatening.
Beginning in 2024, fire departments from across the region came together with a shared goal: to align Mayday procedures across jurisdictions. With mutual aid agreements in place and multiple departments often working side by side at emergency scenes, a critical question emerged: if a firefighter calls a Mayday, are all crews operating under the same procedures and speaking the same language? At the time, there was no standardized procedure across departments when a Mayday was called.
Recognizing this gap, Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services initiated a regional Mayday Working Group. Over the course of 11 months, the group brought together fire chiefs, dispatch providers, subject matter experts in Mayday events, and firefighter instructors from across the region.
Together, they accomplished something unprecedented in the Capital Region: the development of a single, unified Mayday procedure designed to ensure the best possible outcome for firefighters in distress, regardless of which department is on scene.
This procedure has now been adopted or adapted by departments throughout the Capital Region, with strong support and collaboration across agencies.
“This work is about one thing, and that is firefighter safety,” said Fire Chief Matt Furlot. “When a Mayday is called, there is no time for confusion. Everyone on scene needs to understand exactly what to do, using the same language and the same approach. That clarity can make all the difference.”
As part of the next phase of implementation, Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services, in partnership with Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, will host the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Instructor Development Program from March 30 to April 2.
This intensive training program focuses on firefighter survival skills during Mayday situations. The newly developed regional Mayday procedure will be used throughout the training, representing a key step in its full implementation across the region.
Activities will include navigating and escaping wire entanglement, breaching walls, performing emergency window bailouts and operating in zero-visibility environments through blackout drills.
“This initiative shows what is possible when departments come together with a shared focus,” added Furlot. “By building consistency across the region, we are making sure every firefighter has the same level of support when it matters most.”
Fire crews from the area and as far away as Whitehorse are taking part in the program. Participants will leave as certified instructors, bringing this critical training back to their home departments and further strengthening firefighter safety across the Capital Region.
-30-
Media contact
Tara Zajac
Manager of Communications
tara.zajac@esquimalt.ca