Local fire departments receive provincial funding for cancer prevention initiatives

Photo by Nejc Soklic.
A $30 million investment from the provincial government will see nine area fire departments receive a combined $320,982 earmarked for cancer prevention initiatives.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, the Ontario government announced the “first-ever $30 million fire grant” aimed at “supporting cancer prevention measures for municipal firefighters,” citing the “cancer-causing chemicals” that firefighters encounter on the job.
According to the province, the funding, which comes through the “Fire Prevention Grant” is to be used for equipment purchases or infrastructure upgrades “to help reduce the long-term effects of exposure to fire-related contaminants and chemicals.”
Firefighters are more likely to experience health problems because of exposure to hazardous chemicals, the Ontario government said in a press release, noting that 50 to 60 firefighters in Canada die of cancer every year – and half of those are from Ontario. The funding is meant to “ensure firefighters are kept safe, while they are keeping our communities safe,” the government said.
“Firefighters put service over self each and every day, facing dangerous situations to protect their communities,” Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said in a statement.
“Our government has been a leader in protecting them, while they’re protecting us. Today’s announcement is another concrete step to make sure these heroes get the care, resources and support they deserve.”
According to the Government of Ontario, there are approximately 33,000 municipal firefighters in Ontario, including over 12,500 full-time, nearly 20,000 volunteers and almost 400 part-time firefighters.
“Public safety is about more than just equipping our first responders with the tools they need on the job – it’s about ensuring they are looked after and supported both on and off the job,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said in a statement.
“That’s why this $30 million grant is directly supporting the health of countless firefighters who put their safety on the line every day to protect our communities.”
Locally, the seven municipalities receiving funds through the Fire Prevention Grant (and the amount they are each receiving) are as follows:
Kingston: $82,304
South Frontenac: $65,843
Central Frontenac: $32,921
Frontenac Islands (Wolfe Island): $16,460
North Frontenac: $24,691
Loyalist Township: $32,921
Greater Napanee: $24,691
Stone Mills Township: $32,921
Gananoque: $8,230
“These funds will see fire services across the province purchase specialized washing and drying equipment to decontaminate bunker gear and wildland firefighting coveralls. It will also allow for facility and infrastructure upgrades to allow for proper air purification and ventilation systems,” the province said.
Kingstonist reached out to the local fire departments to find out how important this funding is for them and what they’ll use the funding for. According to Kingston Fire & Rescue Chief Monique Belair, the Kingston fire department will use the funding to purchase two decontamination machines for cleaning self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) backpacks, cylinders, masks, boots, and gloves.
“These specialized decontaminating washing machines will use temperature, time and chemo-mechanical action to provide exceptional cleaning that helps protect firefighters from residual fire-related toxins,” Chief Belair told Kingstonist, noting that Kingston Fire & Rescue is “committed to safety excellence through continuous improvements of our health and safety programs and ensuring the equipment used by our firefighters is properly cleaned and free of carcinogens.”
The two new decontamination cleaning machines will be “a significant improvement over the current manual cleaning process,” which employs the use of good old-fashioned soap, water, and brushes, Belair explained.
“The innovative sanitizing and disinfection technology will provide the same high level of protection every time and substantially reduce additional exposure to carcinogens.”
Meanwhile, Central Frontenac Fire Chief Chris McDonough explained his department is using the funding for minor infrastructure upgrades.
“Senior Officers agreed that the best use of this funding would be to provide an emergency generator at our Sharbot Lake station. With the frequent and lengthy power outages we have experienced in past years, we felt this would be beneficial to the entire department and service delivery to our residents. This would ensure the operation of all facilities at this location, such as: the compressor that fills our breathing air cylinders, running water for showers, and our bunker gear extractor for cleaning personal protective equipment, to name a few,” McDonough shared in an email to Kingstonist.
“We are extremely pleased with this financial support from the province and the Office of the Fire Marshal in helping us ensure the health and wellness of our firefighters.”
In South Frontenac Township, the funding will go towards a couple of things, Fire Chief Del Blakney told Kingstonist. First, South Frontenac Fire and Rescue is using some of the funds to upgrade equipment washing facilities at some of the older stations within the township, he said.
“The funds will also be used to purchase decontamination equipment for our Rescue Squads in order that the decontamination of firefighters can start on scene immediately following a fire,” Blakney shared.
“Cancer prevention is extremely important and we’re grateful for the opportunity to make significant enhancements to firefighter safety through the funding that is being provided over a three year period.”
A full list of the funding being received by Ontario municipal fire departments through the Fire Prevention Grant can be found on the provincial government website.