Public safety and community services

Public safety and community services in the District of North Vancouver

The District sits against a forest, on a slope, in an earthquake zone. Fire and rescue is the District’s own service; policing, emergency management and recreation are shared with neighbouring municipalities.

This page shows who runs what, and what a mayor can strengthen.

Who is responsible

Who actually decides

Each row is a checkable fact, with its source on the Sources and documents page.

Decision	Who holds it
Fire suppression, rescue and wildfire prevention, including the FireSmart program and home hazard assessments	District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services	Confirmed fact Source
The Wildfire Hazard Development Permit Area in the Official Community Plan, which sets FireSmart building requirements for properties in the forested wildland-urban interface	District of North Vancouver	Confirmed fact Source
Policing. The North Vancouver RCMP detachment polices the District and the City as one area	RCMP under contract, funded by the District	Confirmed fact Source
Emergency planning, the emergency operations centre and public preparedness for earthquakes, storms and floods	North Shore Emergency Management, shared by the District, the City and West Vancouver since 1978	Confirmed fact Source
Recreation centres, pools, arenas and community programs	North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission, shared by the District and the City	Confirmed fact Source
Wildfire response beyond the municipality, health care and schools	Province of British Columbia	Confirmed fact Source

What a mayor can do

Chair the council that funds Fire and Rescue and the District’s share of policing, emergency management and recreation.
Set expectations, through council, for how the District communicates during an emergency.
Bring the shared services to one table with the City and West Vancouver when a gap appears.
Cannot direct the RCMP’s operations or the Province’s wildfire service.

What Max proposes

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: the proposals

We live against a forest, on a slope, in an earthquake zone. Preparedness is not optional. Each proposal says how it would be done, who has to agree, and what it costs or gives up.

1Strengthen wildfire prevention Proposal

Expand FireSmart home assessments and fuel management in the interface, and report each year on how many properties were assessed and treated.

Who has to agree: Fire and Rescue Services; the Province’s FireSmart funding; property owners.
The trade-off: Fuel management means cutting in parks people love. Publishing the plan for each area is the trade.

2Improve emergency preparedness Proposal

Neighbourhood-level preparedness with NSEM: which routes, which shelters, which radio channel, for each part of the District.

Who has to agree: North Shore Emergency Management; community associations.
The trade-off: Volunteer time. The District’s job is to make it easy to give.

3Protect neighbourhoods and public spaces Proposal

Publish the District’s policing priorities and the detachment’s response data for the District, so residents can see what they are paying for.

Who has to agree: North Vancouver RCMP; the City, which shares the detachment.
The trade-off: The RCMP controls operations; the District controls what it asks for and what it publishes.

4Support first responders Proposal

Fund Fire and Rescue to the standard the annual report says the District needs, and say plainly when the budget does not.

Who has to agree: Council; Fire and Rescue Services.
The trade-off: Staffing and equipment are among the largest items in the budget. Saying so is part of an honest budget.

5Improve communication during emergencies Proposal

One channel residents already know, tested twice a year, with plain-language updates in the languages the North Shore speaks.

Who has to agree: NSEM; District communications staff.
The trade-off: Tests interrupt people. A test that nobody notices is a test that failed.

Your questions

What is Max Zahedi’s plan for wildfire and emergency preparedness?

Expand FireSmart home assessments and fuel management in the wildland-urban interface with annual public reporting, build neighbourhood-level preparedness with North Shore Emergency Management, test one emergency channel twice a year, and publish the seismic and flood condition of District-owned buildings and bridges with a repair order.

Who polices the District of North Vancouver?

The North Vancouver RCMP detachment, under contract, which polices the District and the City of North Vancouver as one area. The District pays its share and sets priorities with the detachment; it does not direct operations.

Who runs the community centres and pools?

The North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission, shared by the District and the City. The District funds its share and appoints members to the commission.

Sources

District of North Vancouver — How we stay wildfire-ready — The District’s wildfire program.
District of North Vancouver — Wildfire Hazard Development Permit Area FAQ — Which properties are in the interface and what the permit requires.
District of North Vancouver — Wildfire home hazard assessment — The FireSmart assessment residents can request.
District of North Vancouver — Our fire and rescue team — Fire and Rescue Services.
District of North Vancouver — Fire and Rescue annual report 2023 — The service’s own account of its year.
North Shore Emergency Management — About NSEM — The shared emergency management department for the three North Shore municipalities.
North Vancouver RCMP — About the detachment — Confirms the District and the City are policed as one area.
North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission — Recreation and culture, shared by the District and the City.

All sources and documents · All eight priorities

Last updated: September 12, 2026

Written by the campaign to elect Max Zahedi.