A Vancouver Island NDP MP has secured a tax break for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue members in the 2024 federal Liberal budget.
Gord Johns, from the riding of Courtenay-Alberni, has lobbied for several years to double the tax credit that volunteer firefighters receive in exchange for the hours they log responding to emergency calls.
sa国际传媒淟ast summer, we all saw how devastating the wildfires were. They forced communities to evacuate and people to flee their homes,sa国际传媒� said Johns. sa国际传媒淚t was the volunteer firefighters and search and rescue responders at the front of this nationwide emergencysa国际传媒攁nd many had to go on leave from their jobs to do it.
sa国际传媒淏eing a volunteer firefighter is entirely at onesa国际传媒檚 own expense, and with how high costs have risen, itsa国际传媒檚 become more difficult for many to do this life-saving work.sa国际传媒�
The budget document released April 16, 2024 will increase tax credits from $3,000 to $6,000. This will give volunteer responders up to an additional $450 back on their taxes, at an estimated cost to government of $105 million over six years. The credit will start this year.
Across the country, 71 percent of Canadasa国际传媒檚 126,000 firefighters are volunteer, according to the most recent Great Canadian Fire Census. In 2021 Johns worked with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association to bring forward a bill to help fire departments and SAR groups increase the tax credit for volunteers. He re-introduced the bill again in 2023.
The CAFC applauded the decision. sa国际传媒淭his is a strong and meaningful recognition of the essential firefighting and search and rescue personnel that volunteer in our communities every day and particularly during a gruelling wildfire season,sa国际传媒� said Chief Ken McMullen, president of the CAFC. sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 do enough for these individuals, but this is a great start.sa国际传媒�
Over the past two years, fire chiefs, their departments and many others from across the country have generated data, prepared briefs, signed petitions, contacted their MPs, asked municipal councils to pass resolutions and more. Results from the 2023 Great Canadian Fire Census helped paint the sa国际传媒減owerful but precarioussa国际传媒� picture of volunteer firefighter involvement across the country, according to the CAFC. A total of 534 departments from all types submitted data.
Fire chiefs in Johnssa国际传媒� home riding say the tax benefit will be a good tool for recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lucas Banton is five members down from full strength right nowsa国际传媒攈e usually has a complement of 25 firefighters for his regional district just outside of Port Albernisa国际传媒檚 city boundaries.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 an acknowledgment of the work being done by volunteerssa国际传媒n an area where wesa国际传媒檙e getting less and less volunteers,sa国际传媒� Banton said. sa国际传媒淚t is meaningful.sa国际传媒�
Ucluelet Fire Chief Rick Geddes agreed that the tax benefit will be another tool in his toolbox to retain volunteer firefighters. Geddes is one of two paid members in his department that includes 19 volunteers and room for more.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 not a lot of perkssa国际传媒� for volunteer firefighters or search and rescue memberssa国际传媒攖he people who give their time to serve their community, Geddes said. sa国际传媒淥ften there is a loss of wages when volunteers get called to put out a fire or attend a call.sa国际传媒� In the past labour unions would have it written into their employment contracts that a company would pay wages of anyone called to fight a fire, but there are fewer companies willing to do that, he added.
Volunteers will have to serve a minimum of 200 hours in order to qualify for the tax credit. That can add up quickly for active volunteers, says Geddes.
He thanked Johns for taking the initiative. sa国际传媒淔ire chiefs across Canada are all very thankful for this campaign.sa国际传媒�
