KAGAWONG—Billings council is joining another Ontario municipality in petitioning the provincial government to recognize the municipal fire service as critical by including funding for fire department infrastructure.
“I think we should support the resolution (from McKellar Township),” stated Billings councillor Sharon Alkenbrack at a council meeting last week. “They (McKellar council) have passed a resolution to petition the provincial government to recognize municipal fire services as critical infrastructure by including funding for fire departments.”
Councillor Alkenbrack noted, “we as municipalities are legislated to have fire departments, and to buy fire equipment for them, but there is no funding available to do things like buy equipment or construct new fire halls.”
“We have never been able to get (provincial) funding, it isn’t available,” agreed Billings Mayor Austin Hunt.
The resolution passed by McKellar Township council and supported by Billings reads in part, “the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, legislates that fire prevention, public education and fire protection services are a mandatory municipal responsibility. And, there are a total of 449 fire departments operating in the province comprised of 32 full-time departments, 191 composite departments and 226 volunteer departments with 11,376 full-time firefighters, 19,347 volunteer firefighters and 343 part-time firefighters staffing these departments. And whereas the fire service represents a significant percentage of small, rural and northern municipalities managed capital assets. It is noted the municipal fire department and associated assets represent critical municipal infrastructure. “Whereas there are currently no funding opportunities available from the provincial or federal government for the equipment, training, maintenance, operating or capital requirements of local fire departments.”
“Now therefore be it resolved that the council of the Township of McKellar (and Billings) hereby petition the provincial government to recognize the municipal fire service as critical infrastructure by including funding for fire department infrastructure as part of the provincial governments Infrastructure Strategy to move Ontario Forward. And further that a copy of this resolution be sent to the premier of Ontario, the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, Norm Miller, MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and all Ontario municipalities.”
Billings council passed a motion supporting McKellar’s lobbying attempts for this funding to be provided to municipalities for fire services.
