According to our figures, there are 108,000 firefighters in Canada, and they can be found in all Canadian communities. I could not say exactly how many of them are professional firefighters. However, I can say that they all have the same goal of saving the lives of Canadians. They all have the same goal, whether or not they are paid full time, as are professional firefighters, many of whom are represented by Scott Marks and his association or by other associations in the other provinces.
Although their jobs are similar, the difference between a volunteer or part-time firefighter and a permanent or professional full-time firefighter—these are the terms used in our field—is that volunteer firefighters work every day at their regular job, and in the evenings and on weekends—when they are available—they will help their fellow citizens. They take training during their free time. All of their social activities revolve around helping their fellow citizens. That is the beauty of these people. It takes an incredible amount of courage to do this. Firefighting is in their souls; they are committed to it.
How many of these 108,000 people should be vaccinated? I could not exclude anyone; it would be impossible. When we are in a situation where all of our ambulances and emergency rooms are busy, will we wait for people to die? No, I do not think so. People will keep asking for help. Where will we send those requests? It will be the part-time firefighters who will want to help.
Why will they do that? Because they have first aid training. They know CPR. Their very presence among the people who need help will make them feel better. That is why we cannot distinguish between firefighters.