The fire that swept through Canadian Forces Base Wainwright over the weekend in Alberta killed four soldiers and injured 39 people, including 19 reported in critical condition.

The thoughts of Canadians are with the families, the military community, the people of Wainwright and the responders who answered the call.

But what happened after the fire deserves attention too. Wainwright’s hospital became a triage hub for what the town’s mayor described as the largest mass casualty event the community has ever seen. Patients were also transferred to hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer. The response mobilized 22 ground ambulances, six airplanes and two helicopters.

The Canadian Armed Forces relies on civilian systems for specialized services and mass casualty events. Civilian health readiness is therefore part of national defence. Thirteen months before Wainwright, Canada rehearsed the challenge of a casualty surge. Its findings deserve action.

A system with little slack

The response to a mass-casualty event does not play out in an otherwise empty health-care system. It competes with everyday care for staff, beds, transport and supplies.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reports that hospital beds increased by only four per cent between 2014–15 and 2023–24 as Canada’s population grew by 13 per cent. Beds per capita fell by seven per cent.

These national figures don’t establish Alberta’s capacity on the day of the fire, but they show why having enough infrastructure, staff and........

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