Resolutions Search
Gas Tax Funding For Volunteer Fire Departments
WHEREAS the need for safety equipment and response vehicles for volunteer fire departments is continually increasing to meet provincial, federal and insurance requirements;
AND WHEREAS the expense of safety equipment and response vehicles is an extraordinary cost for volunteer fire departments:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NCLGA and UBCM lobby the FCM and federal government to appropriately fund safety equipment and response vehicles for volunteer fire departments.
Actions
UBCM Comments: The UBCM membership endorsed a similar resolution, 2016-B74, calling for fire protection service areas to access and utilize gas tax funding to construct fire halls and purchase firefighting equipment. However, membership has not considered a resolution specifically identifying Volunteer Fire Departments.
UBCM would observe that distinguishing VFD from other first responders may be divisive amongst UBCM membership who have previously endorsed resolutions for all first responders supplies/ equipment to be eligible for Gas Tax funding.
Members have endorsed resolutions seeking sources of funding for first responder supplies and equipment (2014-B15, 2012-B10, 2010-B6, 2000-B15); and seeking grant funding for local government priorities (2014-B18, 2013-B19).
Note that during the negotiation of the Renewed Gas Tax Agreement (2014), UBCM advocated, unsuccessfully, for the inclusion of emergency response infrastructure as an eligible expense within the Gas Tax Agreement.
(Note: Sponsors are noted alphabetically, for any resolution with more than one sponsor)