Canadian fire chiefs are urging the federal government to introduce a tax credit that will help recruit more volunteer firefighters. Steve Gamble, first vice-president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and head of Port Coquitlam’s fire department, said his organization wants MPs to support a $3,000 non-refundable tax credit for volunteer firefighters who perform more than 200 hours of service per year. Fewer people are offering their time to fight fires, Gamble said, as they need paying jobs to support their families and can’t commit to the three years required for training. The tax credit — which would mean an average refund of about $450 — would give them more reason to sign up, Gamble said. Most of Canada’s 125,000 volunteer firefighters get no compensation for their time, he added. Some are paid-on-call, some receive a stipend, while others are simply recognized at an end-of-the-year dinner. And firefighters do much more than rush to burning buildings. As first responders, they attend car crashes, medical emergencies and other distress calls, Gamble said, and they raise money to give to charity and, in some smaller communities, to buy their own equipment. This is the second time the fire chiefs’ association has asked Ottawa for a tax credit. In 2008, they supported a bill for a similar incentive, but the proposal went up in smoke when Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament. According to the association’s website, each volunteer logs an average of 443 hours of service per year. That’s the same as nearly 60 full work days. The association is collecting signatures online for the tax credit, and plans to present the petition to MPs on Nov. 29.
http://givefirefighterscredit.ca/en/
http://givefirefighterscredit.ca/en/
Join the 5986 people who have signed our petition.
Tell the Government of Canada you support the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs’ proposal to introduce a $3,000 non-refundable tax credit for volunteer firefighters who perform more than 200 hours of service per year.
From a survey of its members, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) reports that over 95% stated that personal income tax relief would help them recruit new volunteers and retain those that have already been trained. That is why Canada’s Fire Chiefs are proposing the introduction of a $3,000 tax credit for volunteer firefighters who perform more than 200 hours of service in a given year.
Some Volunteer Fire Departments in Canada have been forced to close because of a lack of volunteers. When these Departments close, communities often lose their only emergency responder service and are no longer sufficiently protected from fire and other emergencies.
On average, each volunteer firefighter gives their community 443 hours of service or the equivalent of 60 work days a year. Collectively these volunteers protect the lives and property of Canadians in more than 3,200 communities from coast to coast to coast.
Of the 3,492 Fire Departments in Canada, 91% of them are staffed by volunteer firefighters who make up more than 78% (or 84,314) of the 108,000 firefighters protecting communities nation-wide.
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