Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As I have just arrived, I will take the opportunity to greet my colleague as well as the firefighting chiefs who are here with us today.
Ms. Romanado, I'm going to be honest with you: your bill gave me a chance to learn quite a bit about the working conditions of firefighters and the risks that come with the job. I realized that my knowledge on the subject was lacking. I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn more. I think there is work to be done and I am committed to learning more.
Your answers to the questions that my colleague Mr. Hanley asked show how much you care about prevention. Setting aside the context of the bill, and looking at the issue more generally, it is obvious that you care tremendously about firefighters' health and the work‑related illnesses that they suffer from. This is to your credit.
I was very surprised to learn that even the equipment that firefighters wear contains toxic substances, such as perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Firefighters are wearing these toxic products on their person.
Do you think the federal government should increase funding for research on cleaning and decontaminating firefighters' clothing and equipment after a fire, given the fact that they are exposed to cross‑contamination? I was wondering if this was an area in which Canada could become a world leader in the longer term.