Whereas independent fire department, fire brigade and fire cache societies provide an invaluable service for the unincorporated communities in regional districts: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the Province of British Columbia to change either its policy or legislative framework to ensure that independent fire, fire brigade or fire cache societies can apply directly to the Province for provincially administered emergency preparedness funding programs to support their training or capital requirements, similar to existing BC Gaming Grant programs.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Province recognizes and appreciates the challenges that small municipalities and rural communities within regional districts face in delivering fire and rescue services, especially in some locations where fire protection is provided by other entities, such as Improvement Districts or societies. In these cases, the fire protection service level and the corresponding responsibilitiesduties set by the authority having jurisdiction AHJ is largely determined by the resources and funding available to them. Emergency Management BC EMBC and the Office of the Fire Commissioner OFC do not provide funds directly to fire departments for training, equipment, or capital purchases. However, EMBC, the OFC, and the BC Wildfire Service BCWS continue to work collaboratively with the Union of BC Municipalities UBCM and the Fire Chiefs Association of BC FCABC on a variety of funding initiatives that can assist fire departments that require assistance. BCWS currently provides funding for structural protection training courses for local authority fire departments and is working with the OFC to develop a long-term plan for provision of this training. The FCABC is currently administering 5 million in funding provided by the Canadian Red Cross to assist local authority fire departments. Funds will be distributed in 2019 in two phases: Phase 1 is targeted at fire departments in communities that were affected by the 2017 wildfires. In Phase 2, any remaining funds from this program will be made available to other departments across the province. On May 10, 2019, the Province provided 5 million to the UBCM Community Emergency Preparedness Fund CEPF to fund volunteer and composite fire departments across BC to facilitate the delivery of firefighter training and to purchase new or replacement equipment. Staff from the OFC and UBCM worked together to clarify that Eligible Applicants under the program are all local governments municipalities and regional districts, First Nations bands and Treaty First Nations, legally incorporated society-run fire departments that are in good standing, and improvement districts. Please consult the following UBCM program page for the CEPF for updates on any future intakes under this funding stream: https:www.ubcm.caENmainfundinglgpscommunity-emergency-preparedness-fund…