Fire departments are feeling the heat EDITORIAL Woodstock Bugle-Observer Share this article November 17, 2014 New Brunswick communities, particularly those along the upper St. John River valley, are supported, protected and enhanced by their respective local volunteer fire departments. Whether operating in larger towns like Woodstock or in local service district communities like Lakeville, the fire departments represent the heart of what makes rural New Brunswick strong. In this issue of the Bugle-Observer, for example, you will read about the 17 volunteers of the Lakeville Fire Department, plus members of the Ladies Auxiliary which supports the department. Despite the increasing demands placed upon a volunteer firefighter and the training needed to reach Level 1 status, most small communities in the region have historically been highly successful at recruiting volunteers. Today’s firefighter is required to take 120 hours of training. Unfortunately, even with local commitment to the fire departments, recruiting has become more difficult in recent years as young people head west or to larger centres in search of full-time employment. Now small and large fire departments have been dealt another bad hand by WorkSafeNB. Recent changes will see the cost of insurance coverage per firefighter increase by at least 55 per cent. With little or no prior warning, the cost per firefighter jumped from $444 to $690. The increase took most, if not all, towns and villages by surprise. Towns like Woodstock, Hartland, Nackawic and Florenceville-Bristol or villages like Meductic, Millville, Centreville and Bath were blindsided by the increase coming as they prepare budgets for 2015. A town like Woodstock will have little time to study and determine the number of volunteer firefighters the department requires. It will simply have to include the increase in this budget with plans for further study over the next year. Communities such as Lakeville, Debec and North Lake are in local service districts so, in effect, the province pays the bills and sets budget priorities. Will they absorb the extra costs without limiting the number of firefighters? No one is accusing WorkSafeNB of wrongdoing. The act governing firefighters overlaps with labour laws responding to workplace accidents and coverage so needed adjustments for all workers had a negative impact on fire departments. Regardless of fault, the situation must be addressed. Volunteer firefighters and the vital role they play in our communities cannot be ignored.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 02:15:34 +0000
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