Canadian Government Approves $1 Million to Fund IAFF Haz-Mat, CBRN Programs

March 20, 2007 -- The IAFF has scored a major victory for public and first responder safety with the announcement that the Canadian government will provide $1 million over two years to implement the IAFF Haz-Mat and CBRN training programs in Canada. The funding is part of the 2007 federal budget that was announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty March 19 in the House of Commons in Ottawa.

The government’s announcement states that “Budget 2007 provides $1 million over two years to the Canadian arm of the International Association of Fire Fighters through Public Safety Canada to help implement a hazardous materials training program that would be available to all first responders, including fire fighters, police, paramedics and utility workers” and is in direct response to relentless IAFF lobbying on this issue since 2001.

This means that municipalities across Canada will be able to begin to provide the training through IAFF programs that have been used successfully to train tens of thousands of first responders in the United States.

The IAFF programs will complement existing federal government training initiatives and significantly increase the number of Canadians who are adequately protected from the aftermath of a CBRN incident or other major disaster, as well as the safety level of IAFF members and other first responders who are Canada’s first line of defense in the event of a CBRN incident or other major disaster.

While some Canadian cities have CBRN teams ready, an IAFF survey conducted in 2005 found that the vast majority did not. Some cities and towns lacked even basic hazardous materials response capabilities.

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger hailed the announcement as a major advance for public and first responder safety in Canada and another endorsement of the IAFF Canadian legislative program.

“I personally congratulate our Canadian affiliates who fought so hard for this much-needed training over the past five years,” Schaitberger says. “This victory validates what we’ve been saying about the need for additional training, and illustrates yet again that the work we put into lobbying MPs, working in elections and participating in the Canadian Legislative Conference every year pays off.”

Schaitberger, who met and talked with Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the 48th IAFF Convention in Toronto last year, expressed his gratitude to Harper and his Conservative government for listening to the IAFF and acting decisively on this issue.

He adds that this latest victory should serve to encourage Canadian IAFF members to attend the 15th Canadian Legislative Conference in Ottawa April 22-25 and to fight even harder for issues -- such as a national Public Safety Officer Compensation (PSOC) Benefit -- that are still on the table.

The initial funding announced by the Canadian government provides the $500,000 annually that the IAFF requested. Because it is a train-the-trainer program, participants will then be able to deliver the curriculum to other first responders in their home communities.

As with any budgetary provision, implementation of the program will be dependent on passage of the budget in the House of Commons. Preliminary indications are that the budget will be passed.

The IAFF has lobbied for increased major disaster training since before September 11, 2001, and lobbied specifically for the implementation of the IAFF programs in Canada in October 2001. Most recently, the IAFF testified about the need for additional first responder training and the merits of the IAFF programs before the Standing Committee on Finance in September 2006 as part of the Committee’s Pre-Budget Consultations.

The IAFF anticipates that discussions with the federal government about the logistics of implementing the programs in Canada will begin shortly.

The IAFF also recognizes the efforts of NDP MPs Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas, British Columbia) and Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ontario), who introduced private members’ motions calling for increased first responder training in the 38th and 39th sessions of Parliament, respectively. While neither motion was drawn for second reading, the motions added credibility to the IAFF’s arguments and helped draw national attention to the issue.

Canadian affiliates will be kept apprised of any updates surrounding the budget announcement as soon as more information is available, and on an ongoing basis as the plan for implementing the IAFF programs in Canada unfolds.