Volunteer firefighters deserve illness-related compensation

Last month’s 50th anniversary celebration at Courtland’s fire station reflected the admiration and respect we all hold for our volunteer firefighters – not only at Courtland, but at all 24 fire departments across Norfolk and Haldimand.

As a newly-minted MPP – 14 years ago – I vividly recall attending the retirement party of Deputy District Chief Gord Chapman. And I wasn’t surprised that, 14 years later, Gord spearheaded the celebration. I also know 14 years ago, volunteer firefighters saved Ontario’s taxpayers $1 billion annually – that number would only be higher today.

Regardless of whether they are volunteer, part-time or full-time, firefighters get on the same truck, wear the same uniform, take the same risks each and every time they answer the call.

So it baffles me that the McGuinty government refuses to treat firefighters equally.

In May 2007, the current government passed legislation that allows the government to make regulations related to compensation for firefighters who get sick due to work-related circumstances.

A month later, a regulation unanimously passed which gives full-time firefighters compensation if they have contracted certain cancers or illnesses, if presumed that illness arose because of their work as a firefighter. The understanding was that similar regulation covering volunteer and part-time firefighters would be forthcoming.

Two years have passed and we are still waiting. The government says it is consulting and that regulation can take a long time. What is there to consult?  Firefighters are firefighters.

The fight for equal coverage is one that hits home right here in Haldimand-Norfolk, and all across rural and northern Ontario for that matter, where communities rely on volunteer departments. Volunteers answer more calls and have to deal with some of the large and extremely dangerous farm fires that can involve chemicals and explosives. By no means am I suggesting volunteer firefighters be treated differently, but they should be treated equally.

Earlier this month, my colleague MPP Ted Arnott from Wellington-Halton Hills brought forward a Private Member’s Bill that would have seen Ontario’s 19,000 volunteer firefighters receive equal coverage similar to that of their 10,000 full-time counterparts . Unfortunately, the bill was defeated with only four of McGuinty’s government members supporting it.

The vote disappointed many, and is being viewed as yet another McGuinty promise gone up in smoke. “This is an affront not only to volunteer firefighters, but also to rural and small-town Ontario,” MPP Arnott said following the vote. Sadly, we are growing accustomed to seeing this government ignore small-town and northern Ontario.

My colleague has worked hard on behalf of volunteer firefighters and the communities they serve for a long time. In 1994, Ted was successful in his bid to allow volunteer firefighters to use flashing green lights in their personal vehicles while responding to emergencies. He also introduced legislation in 2002 to support “two-hatter” or “double-hatter” firefighters. Typically, “double-hatters” work full-time for city departments and volunteer in the communities where they live.

Illness-related compensation for volunteer firefighters would cost taxpayers significantly – as it does for professionals -- but without these kind of services, the cost to our communities would be worse.

The selfless job carried out by any firefighter does not go unnoticed by me or my colleagues -- we certainly don’t believe fire safety should ever be a partisan issue and we should all do what we can to support them.