Whereas volunteer or paid on-call fire departments provide emergency firefighting response services to rural communities throughout British Columbia while struggling to meet the increasing costs driven by expanded regulations to meet provincial, federal and insurance requirements; And whereas the Province of British Columbia does not contribute directly to the delivery of emergency firefighting response services by volunteer fire departments resulting in service delivery challenges for fire departments in rural communities where costs are attributable to the citizens of that area: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to utilize gas tax funding for volunteer or paid on-call fire departments to assist with annual operating costs associated with purchase and maintenance of capital infrastructure and equipment, training, and the administration of the emergency firefighting response services.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing The Province of British Columbia is committed to advocate on behalf of UBCM and BC local governments that, in addition to disaster mitigation, emergency response be an eligible category for local government projects under the Renewed Gas Tax Agreement. During the midterm review of the Renewed Gas Tax Agreement 2014 2024 provincial officials requested the expansion of the existing disaster mitigation category to include capital equipment for emergency response. Though unsuccessful, the province will continue to raise this issue at future opportunities with federal counterparts. Operations and maintenance costs are not eligible under Gas Tax Fund or other senior government infrastructure funding programs. The provision of direct funding for operations and maintenance would not support local government in achieving sustainable service delivery. Although local governments are not eligible to receive Community Gaming Grants, not-for-profit organizations delivering emergency services to communities may be eligible to apply for funding through the Public Safety Sector or the Capital Projects Sector of the Community Gaming Grants Program.