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Preamble:
WHEREAS the state of declining fire department services across rural Alberta is detrimental to all Albertans living or visiting outside of large urban centers; and
WHEREAS provincial Fire Services Training Program funding increases are necessary for rural firefighter training; and
WHEREAS the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) current volunteer firefighter tax credit of $3,000 is inadequate and the CRA’s definition of “volunteer firefighter” is obsolete; and
WHEREAS businesses that employ volunteer firefighters do not currently receive a tax credit for doing so; and
WHEREAS the Fire Underwriter’s Survey assigns “Front Line” status to firefighting apparatus and equipment used in both urban and rural communities for 15 years; and
WHEREAS the Government of Canada’s former Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) for fire/emergency training and equipment is no longer available;
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate to the Government of Alberta to collaborate with the Government of Canada and Fire Underwriters Survey to assist municipalities to retain fire services by recruiting firefighters and addressing the declining fire department services across rural Alberta.
Member Background:
The Government of Alberta (GOA) reinstated the Fire Services Training Program grant (FSTP) in 2022, providing a maximum grant of $10,000 per application. The grant is to financially assist municipalities to ensure fire services are adequately trained to address the community’s risks and levels of service. Increasing the overall program funding of $500,000 is necessary to provide all municipalities opportunities to receive this funding and not rely on their municipal operational budget.
Rural municipalities are struggling to recruit and retain volunteer paid on-call firefighters. The tax credit would show firefighters respect for all those making sacrifices to keep us safe, this incentive will assist with their finically burdens by the return of money earned.
The tax credit is a way to support the important work the fire departments do and help retain members to allow the municipalities to maintain their current levels of service.
The Fire Underwriter’s Survey insurance determines the fire protection rating based on the number of firefighters, age and capabilities of the apparatus. The Fire Underwriter’s Survey insurance currently recognizes fire apparatus to only have a 15-year cycle and recommends to replace the fire apparatus every 15 years not to jeopardize the fire protection rating. If the municipalities do not comply when the level of maturity is reach of the life cycle, the fire protection rating decreases therefore increasing property insurance rates.
The Government of Canada cut the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) in 2013. The JEPP was used to fund major capital purchases for the fire department. A modernized JEPP would reduce deferred equipment purchases due to fiscal pressures. This grant imperative as the longer these purchases are deferred the higher the risk and purchase prices.
RMA Background:
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
Ministry of Emergency Preparedness (Federal)
As we know, disasters are increasing in frequency and severity across Canada as a result of several factors, including climate change. We are seeing longer fire seasons and drier forest conditions, which are contributing to the intensity and size of wildland fire events, and wildland-urban interface fires are an increasing concern. 90% of Canada’s forests are owned and managed by Provinces and Territories, who are primarily responsible for wildland fire management and wildfire suppression, as well as broader forest management.
As the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, I take seriously the threat that all hazards, including fires and wildfires, pose to communities, infrastructure, industry, and health.
In Canada, emergency management is a shared responsibility across all sectors of society, including all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples, non-governmental organizations, and individual citizens. The Government of Canada largely assumes a national coordination role of emergency management policy and programs in an effort to support Provinces and Territories. In this respect, the Government of Canada has made several recent and significant strategic investments in fire resilience.
Budget 2022 earmarked $523 million to procure new firefighting equipment, train 1000 additional wildland firefighters, and develop and deliver a wildfire monitoring satellite system. Additionally, in 2022 the Government of Canada announced $285 million over five years to launch a Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative.
This proposal includes new investments to expand FireSmart Canada, as well as activities to fill foundational gaps in wildland fire knowledge and drive innovation in wildland fire management, and establish a Centre of Excellence for Wildland Fire Innovation and Resilience to help transform wildland fire management in Canada and around the world.
Budget 2024 is investing $800,000 towards the International Association of Fire Fighters to help build wildfire fighting capacity and enhance training best practices, with a focus on the wildland-urban interface. Moreover, the Income Tax Act will be amended to double the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit from $3000 to $6000 for 2024 and subsequent tax years.
Canada’s wildland fire management community is also working to advance proactive steps to prepare for wildland fires and to reduce risks before they occur. With our Canadian Council of Forest Minister’s (CCFM) Provincial and Territorial partners, we are working on developing our country’s first Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy, to mobilize whole-of-society action on wildland fire resilience. This will allow Canadians to be aware, engaged, prepared, and actively participate in wildland fire reduction and to accept wildland fire where appropriate. It is anticipated that the Strategy will be publicly released in June 2024.
Through Natural Resources Canada, the Federal Government also provides the largest combined financial support for the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), which is the Federal Government’s mechanism for supporting wildfire response capacity and the expansion of prevention and mitigation activities across Canada (e.g., the home of FireSmart Canada).
We acknowledge that reducing risk and being prepared to respond to and recover from disaster, including fires, is a whole-of-society commitment. The Government of Canada remains committed to working closely with Provincial and Territorial government officials, and exploring all options to enhance our ability to keep Canadian communities safe.
Recognizing that the Government of Canada lead for wildland fire management is Natural Resources Canada, I am copying my colleague, the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, for his awareness.
Municipal Affairs
In Alberta, municipalities are responsible for ensuring their fire service is meeting the needs of the community, determining service levels, and providing incentives to volunteers in their communities. Albertans are encouraged to work with their local municipality and share their concerns about the need for a strong volunteer fire service in their community.
Fire Services Training Program
The Fire Services Training Program (FSTP) grant provides $500,000 of supplemental training funding to municipalities (including municipal corporations and regional services commissions), Metis Settlements, and First Nations fire service personnel in Alberta, which can be used to enhance training opportunities and consequently, improved safety for fire services and the public.
The FSTP grant assists local authorities in:
Municipal Affairs proactively engages with stakeholders, including the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association to solicit feedback and input on opportunities for program improvement and optimal alignment with stakeholder needs.
Fire Service Review
Over the past few years, fire service stakeholders have raised concerns regarding the delivery of fire service programs and the role of the Fire Commissioner. Municipal Affairs is currently undertaking a Fire Service Review which will provide the opportunity to gather feedback and information on local needs and enable government to develop solutions to improve the fire service in the province.
The Fire Service Review is focused on the role and mandate of the Fire Commissioner, provincial legislation and training standards, recognition for the fire service, specifically to clarify the role of the province in recognizing the service of firefighters, and the management of wildland fires outside the Forest Protection Area.
The first phase of the review is complete. This included informal engagements completed by the assistant fire commissioner beginning in December 2023. The second phase of the review is underway and includes formal engagement with stakeholders, including representatives from municipalities, Indigenous communities, and municipal fire services, through a third-party consultant.
Public Safety and Emergency Services
Public Safety and Emergency Services has no additional information to provide.
Development:
The RMA sent Resolution 1-24S to the Federal Emergency Preparedness Ministry, Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, Alberta Municipal Affairs, and the Provincial Public Safety and Emergency Services Ministry. To date, the RMA has only received the response indicated from the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness (Federal) and Alberta Municipal Affairs.
The response describes a number of positive actions being taken to better prepare for and manage wildfires across Canada. In particular, the RMA appreciates funding for wildland firefighter equipment, training, and the doubling of the fire fighter tax credit. The response does not, however, address the resolution in entirety, including those areas outside of federal scope. Areas the resolution does not meet include addressing challenges to volunteer fire fighter recruitment generally or refer to any initiatives regarding the Fire Underwriters Survey.
RMA assigns this resolution a status of Intent Not Met. RMA will continue to await responses from other federal and provincial ministries.
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