Bluewater fire chief Dave Renner came to council on March 19 to voice his concerns with the new firefighter regulations that have been enforced by fire departments across the province.
In January, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) proposed two requirements in which all of the province’s fire departments must partake as part of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. The new requirements will see firefighters (volunteer and full time) complete the mandatory certification and training. In addition, it will also become necessary to complete community risk assessments in each municipality.
As of Jan. 1, 2019 all new hires must be certified firefighters under the new regulations. The following firefighting positions will also require the mandatory training: suppression firefighters, pump operators, fire officers, fire educators and technical rescuers.
Renner’s concern with the new rules is that fire departments in Bluewater may be challenged to recruit new firefighters. “This is going to be very hard for recruitment,” said Renner in speaking with council.
Experienced firefighters may not have to take certain certification programs as they may be grandfathered in. Renner says that Bluewater might be lucky enough to have some of its existing firefighters be “grantfathered in” and will not require the new certification. Being “grantfathered” into these training programs means that experienced firefighters may already have the qualified training due to their length of service.
Renner says word from the fire marshal’s office says “there’s no way” grandfathering into programs will happen again after this. It’s expected that all firefighters must complete the programs or be grandfathered in by January 2020 and that could have a financial impact on Ontario municipalities.
“One of the biggest problems with this is that it has been changing on a daily basis,” said Renner. He added that he has spoken with two other departments and they are working together at getting their firefighters grandfathered into the certification programs.
The new certification will see firefighters complete a minimum of 180 hours of training – more than what Renner says his firefighters do in station already. After the training, firefighters would have to travel to write the respective provincial and practical exam(s). Another concern the Bluewater fire chief has is that there isn’t anywhere close for local firefighters to travel to write the exams, and the closest location would be the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst, roughly 3.5 hours from Bluewater. Travel expenses (including the course cost) would have to be covered by the fire department.
Coun. John Becker is a long-time firefighter and he says young men and women won’t have time to complete all of the training, as they’d have to take off work to do so. “Young people are backing away…it’s too rigid,” said Becker.
“I don’t how know a municipality our size could afford this amount of rigid certification training,” said Coun. Marnie Hill. Hill also questioned how much of the training will have to be done before a firefighter can get to work. “Once they are trained as a firefighter, why are they going to stay in Bluewater instead of going to the city?” Hill added insisting there would be more money for new firefighters in cities.
Aside from the training, the new requirements will have all buildings in municipalities include their state of compliance under the new risk assessment requirement.
“To have all buildings under compliance is pretty much impossible,” Renner said. Right now the Bluewater Fire Department does inspections by complaint or request only.
There will be more information about the new firefighter requirements in the coming months.
Link to original article in Exeter Lakeshore Times Advance: New firefighter regulations concern Bluewater fire chief