The Ontario government is investing $30-million to help prevent fire fighters from getting cancer.
The funding is a part of a program that will give 374 municipalities including Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby money to buy new equipment to decontaminate firefighters’ gear of harmful fire-related chemicals. The cash will also be used for upgrades in stations to improve air purification and ventilation systems.
In Canada 50 to 60 firefighters die of cancer every year — half of these deaths come from Ontario alone.
The province is giving fire departments this grant so they have the resources to keep firefighters safe.
“While others run from danger, firefighters run towards it,” David Piccini, the minister of labour said. “Our government is serving those who serve by ensuring Ontario’s firefighting community has the resources they need to come home safely at the end of the day.”
Here is the funding breakdown among Durham Region’s municipalities:
- Ajax – $24,691
- Clarington – $41,152
- Oshawa – $49,382
- Pickering – $41,152
- Scucog (in partnership with the Township of Brock) – $41,152
- Uxbridge – $8,230
- Whitby – $41,152
To see the full list of municipalities getting funding, click here.
“Public safety is about more than just equipping our first responders with the tools they need on the job — it’s about ensuring they are looked after and supported on and off the job,” said Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. “That’s why this $30-million grant is directly supporting the health of countless firefighters who put their safety on the line every day to protect our communities.”