Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Sherry, for being here. As we get closer to Christmas, maybe we'll have something to celebrate. I think that's important.
I don't know about other regions, but in Nova Scotia at this time of year there's a multitude of events at local fire halls. It's always great to get out and see the local firefighters.
I want you to know that across my riding in Nova Scotia the firefighters are very thankful for and very aware of what's going on with this bill. I think it means a lot to them, and I think it has been pointed out very clearly to their families, which we can never forget.
The other thing that I think is very clear across the country, which is heartwarming, is that we do know that fire halls are at the centre of communities, and not just when things go sour. We know that's an important thing. We saw that during hurricane Fiona in Nova Scotia. Many fire halls were comfort centres even if they weren't a designated comfort centre. The style and the quality of a person who we attract to be a firefighter in a small community means that even if they're not designated as a comfort centre, they're there anyway.
They know that they have a great presence in the community. They're givers to all communities. I think it's important to highlight that. They're there whether they're formally asked to be or not. I think that to highlight this is also very important. I've had a long association with the Village of Bible Hill fire department. That's been a great thing for me. It's always a pleasure to serve them.
I've gone to each of the fire halls over this season just before Christmas, and one of the things that I do want to highlight is the number of medical first responder calls for firefighters. It would appear that—certainly in my area of Nova Scotia—it's taking up almost 50% of the call time for firefighters these days.
I'm very happy that we have this bill and that we're talking about prevention. I would like to hear your opinion with respect to medical first responder calls and the potential for prevention there. In my mind, we originally weren't asking firefighters to do that type of work, so the preparation that might be required and the treatment for symptoms related to coming upon incredibly horrific scenes are perhaps not there. Could you comment on that? I know it's not totally related, but I know that it's part of your heart.
Thank you.