Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
My name is John deHooge. I sit on the executive of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and have the pleasure of being the fire chief for your city, the city of Ottawa.
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is a non-partisan, national association formed in 1908. Our 1,000 members include fire chiefs and other fire chief officers from every Canadian province and territory. We include fire chiefs from Canada's first nations, industry, airports, seaports, major health care facilities, and Canadian Forces. Our national board of directors includes the presidents of each provincial and territorial association of fire chiefs. The CAFC is in the best position to speak on behalf of all elements of the Canadian fire service.
As part of budget 2011, the Government of Canada introduced a $3,000 income tax credit for volunteer firefighters who perform more than 200 hours of service in a year. Canada's fire chiefs have been advocating for tax relief for the volunteer fire service since 2003. The proposal adopted by the Government of Canada in budget 2011 was the proposal that the CAFC had presented to the federal government as our budget priority during last year's pre-budget consultations. In our view, tax relief for Canada's volunteer firefighters is a key part of the solution to addressing the recruitment and retention challenges facing Canada's volunteer fire services.
We would like to recognize the government for its commitment to pass this initiative into law. The CAFC appreciated yesterday's exchange between Shelly Glover, member of Parliament for Saint Boniface, Manitoba, and the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, in support of the volunteer firefighter tax credit. We are also grateful for the work of MPs from all parties who have supported us in our campaign for tax relief for volunteer firefighters. This measure will help with the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters across the country, which will in turn protect Canadians and our communities.
Volunteer firefighters are unique, even among other volunteer emergency first responders. The vast majority of Canadian communities are protected by volunteer firefighters. Of Canada's 3,492 fire departments, more than 91% are volunteer departments, and four out of every five firefighters are volunteers. In many of Canada's rural and remote communities, volunteer firefighters are the only emergency first responders. In no other emergency responder service do volunteers play such a significant role.
As the fire chief for the city of Ottawa—a composite department that includes both career and volunteer firefighters—I can assure you that while they are volunteers in name, their training and the service they provide are highly professional. Volunteer firefighters are trained in the same way as career firefighters. Once recruited, it takes approximately three years to properly train a volunteer firefighter, and, sadly, many do not stay on past five years. The lack of reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, inadequate equipment and resources, and the time spent away from families and paid employment make it difficult to attract new volunteer firefighters and to keep those already trained.
It is worth noting that other volunteer emergency responders plan or choose when they want to volunteer, whereas volunteer firefighters are often on call all the time. These brave men and women leave their full-time jobs to attend emergencies, losing wages and incurring personal costs in the process.
Thank you.