By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Ontario government is investing $30 million over three years to provide 374 municipal fire departments with funding to support cancer-prevention initiatives. Locally, departments in East Zorra-Tavistock and Wilmot will benefit to the tune of just under $25,000 each.
The funding through the Fire Protection Grant will be used to purchase equipment and make infrastructure upgrades to help reduce the long-term effects of exposure to fire-related contaminants and chemicals. It was made available to both volunteer and full-time departments.
Wilmot fire chief Rod Leeson said this grant will go a long way toward supporting the department’s cancer-prevention strategy.
“We will be purchasing 12 sets of bunker gear over three years in generic sizes that firefighters can use while they decontaminate their issued gear,” he said. “Twelve sets will reside at each station. When gear is contaminated, it takes 24-48 hours to get a firefighter back into service. The second set will allow our valued firefighters to remain in service during the decontamination process.”
One bunker suit runs between $3,500 and $4,000 and there were several cancer-prevention purchases eligible as part of the grant request. Leeson said the leadership team settled on the gear and added they are grateful the province is on board to make the profession safer.
“Our leadership team discussed the scope of the grant and determined the second set of gear would be our priority,” Leeson said. “This type of funding is new to the fire service. The province recognizes the challenges we face and stepped up with funding to help us. We are very grateful to the Province of Ontario for providing this funding opportunity. The fund will be divided over three years and we will certainly be applying when the next window opens to continue adding 12 sets per year.”
The ministry of labour has a checklist fire departments follow that includes on-scene procedures and laundry facilities at each station. When a fire has been extinguished, firefighters remove their gear, bag it and take it back to their respective fire stations for decontamination. All contaminated gear, hoses, and equipment are taken back in pickups or exterior compartments in fire vehicles.
“At no time is any contaminated gear taken back inside the cab of a fire apparatus or pickup. We keep expired gear on the apparatus for them to wear during cold weather back to the station or to continue with cleanup that is not considered hazardous,” Leeson said. “This expired gear is labeled to ensure no firefighter wears this gear into a burning building or used during hazardous incidents.
“We are extremely grateful that the province recognizes how important the health and wellbeing of our valued volunteer firefighters is and look forward to continued funding support.”
East Zorra-Tavistock will be using its funding to pay for a self-contained-breathing-apparatus project from the 2024 budget.
“We have been saving funds in our reserves over the past four years to do a full replacement of aging equipment and these funds will assist us in those replacements,” said CAO Karen DePrest.
“Firefighters put service over self each and every day, facing dangerous situations to protect their communities,” said Ontario solicitor general Michael Kerzner in a press release. “Our government has been a leader in protecting them, while they’re protecting us. Today’s announcement is another concrete step to make sure these heroes get the care, resources and support they deserve.”
These funds will see fire services across the province purchase specialized washing and drying equipment to decontaminate bunker gear and wildland-firefighting coveralls. It will also allow for facility and infrastructure upgrades to allow for proper air purification and ventilation systems.
“Public safety is about more than just equipping our first responders with the tools they need on the job, it’s about ensuring they are looked after and supported both on and off the job,” added finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy in the release. “That’s why this $30-million grant is directly supporting the health of countless firefighters who put their safety on the line every day to protect our communities.”
Firefighters are more likely to experience health problems because of exposure to hazardous chemicals. In Canada, 50-60 firefighters die of cancer every year, and half of those are from Ontario.
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