…On Tuesday, the government detailed its approach, which will allow companies to apply for funding, reducing financial risk while developing technology in the areas of wildfire and flood prevention, mitigation and management, forestry management and emergency response. It calls this the “Forestry Innovation and Emergency Management Testbed,” having previously offered “testbeds” in the areas of airports, marine ports and health care to encourage innovation in those sectors. …Drones offer some potential advantages over helicopters. One operator can fly multiple drones at once, while delivering similar payloads of water or retardant. …The program is run as part of what the government calls its “Integrated Marketplace,” which receives up to $41.5 million from the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth and $11.7 million from the federal government.

See Government Press Release, by Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth: Strengthening government’s response to emergencies – Forestry Innovation and Emergency Management Testbed launched