Penhold’s fire chief says a proposed provincial tax break would go a long way to addressing the problem of the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters across the province.
Jim Pendergast said his resolution proposing a $3,000 provincial tax credit was well received at the Alberta Fire Chiefs Conference in Red Deer earlier this month.
“There was some discussion about adding employers to it but we didn’t want to complicate the issues,” he said, noting the proposal was passed unanimously by all the fire chiefs present.
Provincial fire chiefs also received an update on the issue of volunteer firefighter recruitment during the conference, which ran from May 29 to June 1.
Pendergast said municipalities throughout Alberta and across the country are constantly facing challenges recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters. With a more mobile society, many fire departments are facing additional challenges when trying to staff their departments.
“If you’re a young person, as soon as you can afford a house you get a house in a small community. Then, as you progress through your job, opportunities present themselves for you to go somewhere else,” Pendergast explained. “If you’re on the volunteer fire department, the fire department loses that resource in three or four years when you move.”
In many bedroom communities, including Penhold and Blackfalds, many firefighters travel to nearby cities for work, leaving departments understaffed during the day, Pendergast said.
An Alberta Fire Chiefs Association study commissioned through Volunteer Alberta in 2008 recommended a $3,000 tax break for volunteer firefighters who contribute over 200 hours of service per year. The cause was championed by numerous organizations, including the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Pendergast said.
Volunteer firefighters currently receive a $1,000 federal tax break. Last week’s federal budget included a pledge to increase that amount to $3,000.
Some fire departments in Alberta have shut down over the past few years due to a lack of volunteers, Pendergast said.
“My thought was, if we could have a provincial tax credit as well, that would be more incentive for somebody that puts in a lot of volunteer hours,” he explained.
Pedergast said the next step is for the association board to forward the proposal to the provincial minister.
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