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This year’s prebudget submission was prepared during our national conference, Fire Rescue Canada 2022. Close to 300 members met at CAFC’s first in person conference since the beginning of the pandemic. It is also written in light of the first Great Canadian Fire Census, which to our knowledge is the largest and most up to date dataset about our sector in Canada. The fire service is diverse but united. Our recommendations apply nationally:

This year, CAFC asked that the Federal Government:

• Reinstate a modernized version of the former Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) for fire/emergency training and equipment, with net new monies. 
  
  
• Increase the volunteer firefighter tax credit from $3,000 to $10,000 and modernize the CRA definition of volunteer firefighter to help retain firefighters.
  
  
• Work with fire departments, a Firefighter Cancer Coalition, and partners for a fire cancer framework and registry that result in positive impacts for the front line.   
  
  
• Develop criteria for housing built with and through federal affordable housing incentives to ensure the inclusion of smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers. 
  
  
• Spread and scale the FireSmart program in all communities through fire department leadership and key partners. 
  
  
• Support the recommendations of Indigenous Fire Safety and community leaders to ensure that working smoke alarms are in every home in Indigenous communities. 
  
  
• Fund a pilot study with metro fire departments on the optimized scope of practice for fire departments currently assisting in emergency medical response.  
  
  
• Create a Canadian equivalent of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency and the equivalent of the US Fire Administration.  
  
  
• Invest $2M in the existing CAFC database to unite fire/emergency services as national advisors and streamline public safety messaging nationally.
  
  
• Dedicate resources to complete the design of a governance model for a Public Safety Broadband Network in Canada for public safety communications. 
  
  
• Provide interim funding to the Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment and strengthen its governance and decision-making structure.  
  

We welcome and encourage members to share the brief with your federal MP, staff and partners. It is available in both official languages.

Please read our submission here. It has been submitted to the standing committee on finance.