Providing Infrastructure Funding for Fire Departments
Year: 2024
Resolution
WHEREAS, municipalities trying to maintain a decent quality of life for their residents, as well as adhere to the safety and training requirements for firefighters recommended by the provincial government, do not have sufficient capital to maintain the most effective level of service with their fire departments and the cost of having specialized firefighting equipment, as well as the cost of construction for fire halls, has inflated beyond what most municipalities can afford; and
WHEREAS, fundamental municipal emergency services such as firefighting equipment (trucks, gear, etc.), and fire halls are always considered ineligible projects for the current federal and provincial grant funding, except for the Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF), formerly known as the Gas Tax Fund, which lists fire halls as eligible expenses, but CCBF does not provide adequate funding to cover the cost of most firefighting equipment or fire hall projects; and
WHEREAS, having well-trained, well-equipped fire departments (volunteer or full time) for all municipalities is imperative for the safety and well-being of all citizens in our communities;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT SUMA advocate the provincial and federal government to include firefighting infrastructure, such as fire halls and firefighting equipment, as eligible projects for provincially- and/or federally-funded infrastructure grants, or create a separate funding stream/granting program for firefighting infrastructure entirely.
Provincial Response
- The Government of Saskatchewan understands the need for and the importance of funding for infrastructure projects for emergency services such as fire halls.
- The Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) is a federal funding program administered by the provincial government to provide predictable, long-term, stable funding for Canadian municipalities to help them build and revitalize their local public infrastructure. Municipalities can pool, bank, and borrow against this funding.
- The federal government sets the program parameters which allow municipalities to spend CCBF funding on eligible projects under 19 different categories, including fire halls. The Fire Halls category supports fire halls and fire station infrastructure. Examples of eligible projects may include a new fire hall (building) for housing fire-fighting apparatus and staff, retrofitting and modernization of existing fire halls and attached building space, and acquisition of a fire truck as a capital asset when associated with a new infrastructure project or retrofit. Project expenditures incurred after April 2, 2021, for the Fire Halls category are considered eligible expenditures.
- The current CCBF agreement with municipalities expired on March 31, 2024. The province is in negotiations with the federal government on a renewed administrative agreement. Once finalized, municipalities will have the opportunity to sign into a new Funding Agreement and access the CCBF funding within the parameters of the agreement.
- As the CCBF is a program with federally imposed parameters, the province has a limited ability to impact the terms and conditions of this funding.
- Each year the Government of Saskatchewan provides unconditional funding to municipalities under the Municipal Revenue Sharing program. As an unconditional grant program, municipalities may choose to use these funds for local municipal priorities. In 2024-25, over $340 million in no-strings attached funding will be provided to municipalities.
- The Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative is a cost-shared grant program to support municipalities on projects that focus on partnerships, planning, and collaboration. The TSS Initiative supports project applications submitted by partnerships of two or more Saskatchewan communities willing to work together to improve co-operation, capacity, administration, and governance. Projects are offered 75 per cent of the project’s eligible costs to a maximum amount. The TSS Initiative accepts applications during intake periods as determined by the Steering Committee, with the aim of holding two intakes per fiscal year.
- Saskatchewan anticipates more federal funding for infrastructure in the future. However, details about the types of projects that might be eligible or timelines for an agreement have not been communicated to date.
