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.
