THUNDER BAY — Millions of provincial dollars will be spent for additional fire trucks and training in northern communities.
During an annual training conference for firefighters that started in Thunder Bay on Thursday, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner announced a $35-million funding commitment for 17 new fire trucks and firefighting equipment for northern Ontario communities, along with two new mobile live fire training units.
Funding of the new trucks and equipment is coming from the Northern Fire Protection Program, which provides assistance and support for fire protection services to 48 communities without municipal organization, according to the province's website.
As a former firefighter for the Township of Conmee, Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland called the training units game changers.
"[Having] the ability to have these units come in locally for the training as opposed to sending our firefighters out will really enhance the ability of the volunteers to receive that training that quite honestly sometimes they may not have received as effectively as what these units will provide for them," Holland said.
The ability to deliver training for rural communities is vital, he added.
"Volunteers have had the opportunity to do live training, but that required them to go down to centres such as the former Gravenhurst training site," he said.
According to the Solicitor General's office in an email to TBnewswatch, there isn't a current timeline available on when the new fire trucks will be delivered, nor where they will be going.
"The precise allocation of firetrucks is pending a comprehensive assessment that will consider factors such as the volume of emergency responses and the age of existing equipment so we can provide an efficient and effective response capacity to unincorporated areas," the response reads.