Coping with wildfires – Resources and support

Dear colleagues,

I would like to start by expressing, on behalf of the senior management team, our heartfelt support to all the employees who are courageously battling wildfires or have been evacuated due to these disasters. We understand that you are facing a period of uncertainty and anxiety, and that the enormous workload you have been carrying may have left you feeling exhausted. Our thoughts are also with all those who are affected directly or indirectly by these terrible fires.

Remember that it is normal to experience anxiety, fatigue, and other intense emotions in such circumstances. Stressful events can affect people in different ways. Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is crucial to continue facing these challenges with resilience. We want to remind you that the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is available to you. The EFAP is designed to provide essential psychological support during challenging times.

Whether you need guidance, a listening ear, or professional help in dealing with stress, the EFAP is here to offer comprehensive and confidential assistance.

  • Please save the EFAP number 1-800-868-7708 (or TTY 1-800-567-5803) in your mobile contacts. You can also book an appointment by live chat (password: canada), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET). Counsellors are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are equipped to provide trauma service virtually or on site if required.

Furthermore, I’m taking this opportunity to share with you other helpful links and resources:

Parks Canada employees can always access those resources and other useful information via Parks(EXTRA)Net. The extranet will be updated on a regular basis to support team members impacted by wildfires and evacuations.

In addition to the resources identified above, the Parks Canada management team has access to the following resources to best support all team members.

  • Managers can call upon the Specialized Organizational Services (SOS) to organize a post-incident debrief session with their team members and a mental health specialist. You can contact the SOS help line by phone at 1-888-366-8213 or email at info-sos@hc-sc.gc.ca.
  • Managers can also contact the Psychosocial Response and Extended Counselling (PREC) at precgeneral.cprpgeneral@hc-sc.gc.ca in cases where a Mental Health Professional is needed for an extended period to support teams or individuals. Specially selected counsellors of the PREC team can provide this type of support to firefighters and other first responders before, during and after deployments.

Moreover, our managers and supervisors are invited to consult the Guide to Critical Incident Stress Management, which provides a list of services when dealing with critical incidents (e.g. accidents or medical emergencies).

If you need assistance coordinating service, please contact the Workplace Wellness Team.

Please remember that you are never alone – we are here to support you in these challenging times.

Thank you,

Réa McKay

Vice President, Human Resources and Employee Wellness

Reminder to managers: In keeping with Parks Canada's procedures for communications with employees, managers are responsible for ensuring all team members under their responsibility receive the information intended for them. It is important that you find a means to transmit this message and, if any, the attachment(s) to employees without access to Parks Canada e-mail or the intranet, e.g. by posting it, circulating a paper copy or by any other appropriate means.

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