Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate this opportunity to share our views on behalf of the 21,000 men and women who belong to the International Association of Fire Fighters in Canada.
There are two issues I'd like to raise with you today, both of them very important to professional fire fighters and our families, as well as the public we serve.
The IAFF has pursued the establishment of a national public safety officer compensation benefit for fallen fire fighters for close to two decades in Canada. We continue to pursue this benefit because we strongly believe there is a clear role for the federal government in ensuring that the families of fire fighters who die in the line of duty do not have to face financial hardship at the same time as they are dealing with their grief. It is a matter of dignity to the families.
What currently exists in Canada is a patchwork of line-of-duty death benefit provisions. A minority of local fire fighter unions in Canada have been able to negotiate a line-of-duty death benefit at the local level. Of these, only a handful provide an amount of compensation sufficient to assist the surviving family in the long term. Typically the negotiated benefit is two years' continuation of salary and benefits, which is enough to keep the surviving family in the family home for two years.
We believe Canadians would want better for the surviving family of fire fighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the lives and properties of their fellow Canadians. The dignity and financial security of a fallen fire fighter's family should not be dependent on the uncertainties of the collective bargaining process, especially in a climate in which employers are more likely to attack such employee benefits than award them.
I urge you to recommend that the next budget include funding for the public safety officer compensation benefit in Canada. The benefit should apply to fire fighters, police officers, and other first responders who are identified under existing income tax regulations as members of the public safety occupation.
We propose an indexed benefit in the amount of $300,000 that would be paid directly to the family in addition to any other benefits that may be available, thus establishing a minimum level of financial security available to the families of fallen fire fighters equally across Canada.
In the past 10 years, an average of 13 IAFF members have died in the line of duty annually, and an average of 7 police officers. With these figures, we can estimate that the national public safety officer compensation benefit of $300,000 would cost the government $6 million annually. As you consider a benefit of $300,000, I note that the average age of professional fire fighters who are killed in fire ground accidents in North America is 43. If that fire fighter had worked until the age of 60 at an average salary, the family would have benefited from salary in the area of $1.5 million over those 17 years.
I'd ask you also to recognize the spirit of Motion No. 153, which was adopted in the 38th Parliament. This motion, which called on the Government of Canada to establish such a benefit, was adopted by a vote of 161 to 112 and was a clear indication that a majority of MPs, representing a majority of Canadians, believed this benefit should be established.
We're also asking you to recommend funding for the establishment of a national office for fire service statistics in Canada. The IAFF Canadian office in Ottawa receives calls on a regular basis from fire service and public safety stakeholders asking us for even general statistics about fire service and fire protection in Canada. They're shocked when we tell them these statistics don't exist.
Public safety advocates, the scientific community, equipment manufacturers all voice the need for national fire service statistics in Canada, but they simply don't exist. Statistics Canada compiles and reports comprehensive national crime and justice numbers annually. Health Canada tracks diseases such as H1N1 or the West Nile virus, thereby giving local health authorities the information they need to properly protect citizens. But no one is putting together national fire statistics for Canada.
Currently the fire data is the responsibility of provincial authorities. The unfortunate reality is that some provinces are years behind in their statistics at the provincial level. The provinces don't use standard reporting criteria, nor do they capture the full range of statistics we believe would be useful in advocating public safety. We believe there's a clear role for the federal government in this area.
I wish to add a final comment about the budget for pandemic planning, which is set to expire in 2011. Professional fire fighters, as front-line medical responders, are closely affected by elements of pandemic planning as they relate not just to fire fighter safety but public safety as well.
We are one of the many stakeholders who urge the committee to recommend a continued pandemic planning budget beyond 2011, to ensure that the Government of Canada is doing everything in its power to protect Canadians in advance of the next influenza pandemic.
I thank you again for this opportunity, and I welcome any questions you may have.