The Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs says about 80 per cent of volunteer firefighters in the territory are wearing expired protective equipment, putting them in danger and in violation of occupational health and safety regulations when they respond to emergencies.
According to the association’s vice-president, John Smith, the expired gear mainly includes articles like coats, pants, boots and helmets.
Smith said the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board (WSCB) has written to all the fire departments ordering them to stop using the expired equipment.
“With this order in place, technically we are breaking the law every time we respond, which puts firefighters at risk and puts us liable if something were to happen,” Smith said.
Yukon’s minister of community services says new equipment is on the way.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Richard Mostyn said two-thirds of the gear requested will arrive “shortly” while the rest will be tendered soon.
“I don’t want people going into dangerous situations without the proper gear and that’s why I asked the department and the fire marshal’s office to act quickly, which is why we put those procurements in December,” he said.
In Smith’s view, this has come too late.
He said the equipment that’s on its way could take up to three months before it’s delivered.
“We’ve been voicing our concerns with the government for a long time about the cutbacks and the lack of funding and support for the fire marshal’s office,” Smith said. “And now, like I said, we’re at a crisis level.”
In an emailed statement on Thursday morning, a WSCB spokesperson said the board started inspecting fire departments in January and that it had issued orders to the territory to “address the expired [personal protective equipment]”.
The government asked for more time to comply with the orders because the “majority” of gear was on its way, and the rest was in the midst of being procured, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the board was working with the territory to address the problem by the end of June.
Different views on the same meeting
The minister said he met with the association on Saturday and that the fire chiefs were unable to say how much additional funding they needed. He said that’s why the fire marshal is doing a review before making a budget submission to the management board.
“They asked us where the money was going to come from. I said, ‘if it’s necessary right out of the gate, we will find the funds’,” Mostyn said.
Meanwhile, Smith recounted the meeting differently, with “fingers pointed back” at the chiefs, leaving them feeling disrespected.
“Most of the firefighters are volunteers, taking time away from their families and from their other jobs and putting a lot of time and effort in. And to get that, it’s pretty disheartening,” he said.
‘Holes in their boots’
Wednesday was the second consecutive day that the Yukon Party raised the issue of expired firefighting gear during question period.
Lake Laberge MLA Brad Cathers told reporters after that firefighters deserve an apology, and that they have willingly answered the bell with equipment in “shoddy” condition.
“We know that firefighters had been responding at times when they had holes in their boots or other damage to their turnout gear,” Cathers said. “They put their personal safety at risk to respond to the needs of their community and their neighbours. That should never be happening.”
One of Cathers’ questions for the government in the legislature was whether it was seeking an exemption from occupational health and safety rules that would allow firefighters to respond to calls with expired equipment.
Mostyn, who is also the minister responsible for WSCB, told reporters that safety officers recently completed comprehensive inspections of fire halls.
He said officers examine equipment on a case-by-case basis to see if it’s still usable. That equipment could continue to be deployed, provided that new gear is on its way.
Mostyn said in some cases, expired gear has been “sitting in a plastic bag for 10 years.”
“What we’re looking at right now is assessing what the state of play is for that gear. And as I said, a lot of it has been ordered.”
