Fire Departments across the East Kawarthas have received funding from the provincial government to help with protecting the health of their firefighters.
The Ontario government has doubled the funding available to local fire departments through the Fire Protection Grant which is an application-based program that provides municipal fire services with the resources needed to address contemporary safety challenges. This year the provincial government has invested $20 Million to enhance to prevention of cancer in Firefighters and improve emergency response.
Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha, announced last week that many local fire services will receive $316,565 from this investment to purchase life-saving equipment, enhance cancer prevention initiatives, and improve responses to lithium-ion battery incidents.
• Selwyn have received $82,225 for Advanced Decon & PFAS-Free (free of “forever” chemicals) Gear
• Douro Dummer have received $68,141 for Station Air Quality and Hose Care
• Trent Lakes Will have received $65,780 for Modernization & SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) Care
• North Kawartha have receive $18,536 for Cancer Prevention packs
Smith said, “Our firefighters are always there when we need them, running towards danger to protect our homes and our families. By doubling this year’s Fire Protection Grant, we are ensuring our local heroes have the specialized equipment and training they need to stay safe on the job and return home healthy to their families.”
This year each of the townships received significantly more funds from the previous year
• Selwyn saw an increase of $41,073
• Douro-Dummer received an increase of $35,220
• Trent Lakes saw an increase of $32,859
• North Kawartha saw an increase of $2,076
Smith’s office explained that the grant program is a competitive, application-based funding model which means that the money granted is not automatic. Municipalities must submit a formal proposal through the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) system detailing what they need and why.
The province then uses the number of active fire stations as a primary guide. This means that a municipality with five fire halls will generally be eligible for more funding than a municipality with only one, as the need for equipment is higher.
All applications must also fall under the three specific categories:
• Cancer Prevention: (e.g., specialized gear washers or exhaust systems).
• Lithium-Ion Response: (e.g., EV fire blankets or specialized suppression tools).
• Modernization: (e.g., upgrading internet/broadband for better dispatching).
Smith’s office said that the province prioritizes “high impact” requests such as a department that currently has no cancer-prevention equipment. That department would likely be prioritized over a department asking for a backup system. The final funding allocation is based on the actual quotes or estimated costs provided by the municipality in their application. They receive the amount required to complete their specific safety program.
Selwyn’s Deputy Fire Chief Howard Jinkerson said that they submitted a proposal through this grant process for three bunker gear extractors. These machines are like clothes washing machine that are designed to clean and sanitize bunker gear and are built to a NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standard. The application also included the purchase of one PPE (personal protective equipment) Drying Cabinet and one SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) Cleaner and thirty-seven PFAS free structural firefighting hoods.
Douro Dummer Fire Chief Chuck Pedersen said that with the funding they will be able to install an Exhaust Scrubber. He explained to the Herald that this device is a ceiling mounted multi-stage progressive air filtration system device that will clean the air inside the fire station.
“Most of our fire apparatus are diesel engines that produce exhaust gases recognized as cancer causing carcinogens. Exhaust residue adheres to walls, equipment, and clothing, where it can be absorbed through the skin and due to the small size of the particulate matter, can be found deep seated in the lungs. This will ensure the air quality at the fire station is clean and that no diesel particulates will accumulate on any surfaces. This is another important step to help reduce the risk of exposure to our firefighters.”
Trent Lakes is using their portion of the grant money to upgrade the station Internet which is critical for emergency declarations, allowing for real-time mapping and thermal data sharing during major events.
Fire Chief Steve Brockbank said, “Sharing of real time data just refers to having Internet at the stations for sending information such as emails, pictures, training plans and all round communications compared to using our current fax machines. If the phone lines are down we will still have connectivity. This will speed operations up and keep processes more streamlined moving forward. This is critical in an emergency when you have a situation like the ice storm and have little to no communications due to infrastructure damage to phone lines etc. When seconds count you need to be able to communicate.”
Trent Lakes will also be using the leftover grant money to purchase SCBA Care with a focus on Firefighter health and safety, Cancer mitigation for care and maintenance of personal protective equipment.
North Kawartha did not response to questions by the Herald’s deadline, however according to a press release sent out by the office MPP Dave Smith, they plan to use their funding for cancer prevention Decon Packs which allow firefighters to do an initial scrub-down at the scene before they even get back in the truck, keeping the vehicle cabin clean.
