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.
鈥淟ast summer, we all saw how devastating the wildfires were. They forced communities to evacuate and people to flee their homes,鈥� said Johns. 鈥淚t was the volunteer firefighters and search and rescue responders at the front of this nationwide emergency鈥攁nd many had to go on leave from their jobs to do it.
鈥淏eing a volunteer firefighter is entirely at one鈥檚 own expense, and with how high costs have risen, it鈥檚 become more difficult for many to do this life-saving work.鈥�
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.
The Courtenay-Alberni riding comprises 20 volunteer fire departments and three volunteer ground search and rescue squads, Johns said. Across the country, 71 percent of Canada鈥檚 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. 鈥淭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,鈥� said Chief Ken McMullen, president of the CAFC. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 do enough for these individuals, but this is a great start.鈥�
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 鈥減owerful but precarious鈥� 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 Johns鈥� 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 now鈥攈e usually has a complement of 25 firefighters for his regional district just outside of Port Alberni鈥檚 city boundaries.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an acknowledgment of the work being done by volunteers鈥n an area where we鈥檙e getting less and less volunteers,鈥� Banton said. 鈥淚t is meaningful.鈥�
Cherry Creek went to paid on-call about six years ago so its members wouldn鈥檛 lose wages by leaving their jobs for emergencies. Banton said it is just one way to 鈥渂ridge the gap鈥� so volunteers won鈥檛 feel they have to spend copious amounts of time away from their jobs. The tax credit will help too, he said.
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. Before moving to the west coast of Vancouver Island he spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter in the Alberni Valley. His father, Pete Geddes, was also a firefighter in Port Alberni.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of perks鈥� for volunteer firefighters or search and rescue members鈥攖he people who give their time to serve their community, Geddes said. 鈥淥ften there is a loss of wages when volunteers get called to put out a fire or attend a call.鈥� 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.
Ucluelet鈥檚 fire department was one of two mentioned directly in the budget booklet, which also acknowledged the growing pressure on first responders in small communities facing an increasing number of natural disasters. Geddes said the recognition was appreciated.
鈥淲hen I passed it on to my firefighters they were quite excited. It was quite an honour for (Johns) to call and tell me our department would be mentioned.鈥�
He thanked Johns for taking the initiative. 鈥淔ire chiefs across Canada are all very thankful for this campaign.鈥�
Banton acknowledged the 鈥渢remendous amount of work鈥� that went into bringing this tax credit to fruition. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic that a Member of Parliament in our areas was successful in getting this passed.鈥�
