Logistics: Behind the Scenes, at the Heart of the Response

By Justine Touaux, Canadian Red Cross

From coordinating supplies, the vehicle fleet and laundry runs, to solving unexpected challenges daily, the Logistics Field Operations Team (FOT) makes sure everyone gets what they need during the 2025 Manitoba Wildfires response. Their work may be behind the scenes, but it is a cornerstone of every successful operation with the Canadian Red Cross.

Ontario-based Canadian Red Cross employees Fatima Alkhazandar and Joshua Cardoso take us on a typical day for the Logistics crew supporting the people who have been impacted by the 2025 Manitoba wildfires in Winnipeg.

Photo Credit: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross

8:30 a.m. – An urgent request comes in

Josh receives a call from the laundry provider who has 500 clean Red Cross blankets ready for pick up, but right now there is no extra room for dozens of pallets in the local warehouse. Ten minutes and a few phone calls later, one of the shelters confirm they can store the blankets, and the team can get back to packing and labeling the orders coming through their inbox.

The team is used to responding to urgent and sudden needs, sometimes reversing entire shipments on short notice. Earlier in July, after a day spent emptying out a closed shelter, removing every piece of equipment and coordinating transportation, Josh received a call at 8 p.m. telling him to “turn the trucks around!”

Two communities had just received the order to evacuate, and the shelter was reopening. The team immediately reversed course, reloading supplies, restaging the site, and preparing for incoming evacuated community members.

10:06 a.m. – Josh learns about baby formula

The team is in full motion, putting an order of 10 boxes of baby formula on pallets. The needs can vary greatly from one community to the next, depending on who is receiving aid from the Red Cross. The response in Manitoba provides support to many families with babies and toddlers. “I’m learning a lot about babies and baby formula,” Josh chuckles. “How much they need, and how many diapers.”

Photo Credit: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
 

11:14 a.m. – The team reflects on what they’ve learned so far

Both Fatima and Josh work full time for the Red Cross Logistics team but being on the ground in Winnipeg has changed their perspective about the work they do.

“This is the first time I’ve really gotten to see it from beginning to end, where a request comes in, the item is located, picked, palletized, shipped, and then arrives where someone needs it. It’s really rewarding,” Josh says. He usually works out of the main Red Cross warehouse in Mississauga. "It definitely opened my eyes to the full picture.”

For Fatima, who usually works on readiness tasks so the Red Cross is prepared for emergencies, a key take-away from stepping into an active response is to not hesitate to ask questions. “Sometimes you need to talk to a lot of people to find out a little information, and that's okay, as long as you get what you need.”

Photo credit: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
 

12:47 p.m. – Their favourite local driver rolls up

As the small Logistics team navigates long hours, shifting plans, and prioritizing urgent requests, they rely heavily on local partners. Among them, a local truck driver became their unofficial guide, offering connections and insights into facilities and routes that helps the team make smarter, faster decisions. “He knows the ins and outs,” Fatima says, “and that has really helped us out.”
 

2:00 p.m. – Volunteers step in

Volunteers join the team for the afternoon to help with delivering ordered items to the Red Cross shelters. Fatima credits a lot of their successes to volunteers who regularly step in, often on very short notice, to sort, drive, and deliver. The diverse skillsets volunteers bring to the table—from warehouse experience to local knowledge—helps the team adapt quickly and resize according to the needs. “They’re ready to show up and just be of help any way possible,” she says. “I can’t really imagine this working out any other way.”
 

2.30 p.m. – The 500 Red Cross blankets arrive on site

The truck filled with the 500 Red Cross blankets arrives at the shelter and whoever is available at the time—Red Crossers and partners—come and help put them on pallets, wrap them up, and roll them inside.

Photo Credit: Alicia Draus / Canadian Red Cross
 

3:14 p.m. – Another vendor comes through for the Logistics team

A supplier confirms that 35 bags of pet food have been delivered directly where needed. This saves the team precious time to prepare supplies for another location and plan support to re-pack several dozen cots.
 

6:37 p.m. – The focus shifts to the next day

The day wraps up with a bit of shuffling and repositioning vehicles to ensure personnel can get where they need to be first thing in the morning. The team prepares for another inventory count to capture the latest stock movements and share the updated data with the broader team. 

As Josh puts it: “It’s long hours, but when you see the impact, supplies arriving just in time, evacuees getting what they need, volunteers stepping in, it’s all worth it.”

Canadian Red Cross teams on the ground continue to provide registration, emergency lodging, food, personal services, well-being support and emergency supplies to those impacted by the 2025 Manitoba Wildfires. 

To learn more about the on-going response, visit our Current Emergency Responses page.