Poor planning, budgeting issues identified as flaws in SPSA by provincial auditor - BERITAJA

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) was unprepared for last year’s onslaught of wildfires and is entering the 2026 occurrence play successful a akin position, the provincial auditor found.

In the summertime version of her report, Tara Clemett, Saskatchewan’s auditor, said the cardinal to an effective wildfire consequence is having the correct devices successful the correct spot astatine the correct clip erstwhile a occurrence starts spreading.

The SPSA, the auditor said, has each the basal pieces for an effective wildfire response, but has not yet put that puzzle together.

Eleven recommendations for the agency were outlined, based connected the accusation auditors collected until the extremity of March. A cardinal constituent highlighted successful the study was the request for preparedness and readying up of occurrence play — partially by reflecting connected erstwhile efforts.

“Without beardown planning, the agency risks entering each wildfire play without optimal level of resources, resulting successful accrued costs and reliance connected contracted services,” Clemett said.

The agency is besides being pushed by the provincial auditor to revisit its backing exemplary and finances — including its predominant usage of contractors.

“We recovered contracted unit costs 2 to 5 times much than the agency firefighters,” Saskatchewan’s auditor said.

A robust fund is necessary, particularly for an agency pinch entree to specified costly resources, she continued.

“Actual adaptable costs related to wildfire consequence exceeded the agency’s first fund by much than $70 cardinal successful each of the past 3 years, showing budgets do not reasonably bespeak the expected costs of wildfire response,” Clemett said.

Better mentation and effective costs guidance will thief to guarantee payer dollars are utilized efficaciously for occurrence management, the study says.

“The agency needs to find what are (the) optimal resources required astatine the onset. Then, erstwhile it’s making its fund request, that it would see what (amount of) wide personnel, equipment, and truthful distant (are required),” Clemett said.

The SPSA is making costly instrumentality and staffing decisions during urgent situations aft occurrence play has kicked off. The auditor said forecasting what devices will beryllium needed connected manus will prevention money and make it easier for the agency to outpouring into action earlier a wildfire spreads.

The SPSA heard a similar tune as it heard earlier this period erstwhile the MNP report that found the province was not prepared to look the intense, fiery 2025 wildfire season. That study was received to mixed reactions — arsenic Premier Scott Moe said his authorities is moving to address its concerns.

Days aft the MNP report’s release, Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations astatine the SPSA, said he is pushing his status day up to the extremity of June.