More than $250,000 in provincial funding is heading to area fire departments for safety upgrades, aimed largely at reducing firefighters’ cancer risk.
This week, MPP Anthony Leardi (PC — Essex) joined fire officials and municipal leaders across Essex County to announce this year’s recipients of Ontario’s Fire Protection Grant.
A total of $255,712 will be divided among five fire departments.
“Our firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to protect our families, our homes, and our communities,” Leardi said. “These investments help ensure local fire services have the equipment they need to stay safe and respond effectively.”
This year, Leardi said, the province has doubled the Fire Protection Grant money available, from $10 million to $20 million, to be awarded through an application-based process.
The money is to be spent on equipment and supplies for cancer prevention, tools to address lithium-ion battery fires, and infrastructure upgrades and modernization.
The largest local share, $82,000, goes to firefighters in the Municipality of lakeshore. The grant will be used to buy a drying cabinet for fire gear, along with bunker gear, structural fire gloves, and particulate-blocking hoods.
Lakeshore Fire Chief Jason Suchiu thanked Leardi and the province for the latest funding, saying it will strengthen the department’s cancer prevention efforts.
“It will have a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our firefighters,” Suchiu said in a statement.
The Amherstburg fire department will receive $52,821 for the purchase of new bunker gear, helmets, boots, gloves and protective hoods.
The funding also includes the purchase of a new gear washer extractor for proper cleaning and decontamination of equipment, along with renovations to the fire station.
Officials said the project includes upgrades to the decontamination shower facilities to help reduce firefighters’ exposure to harmful contaminants.
Essex Fire and Rescue Services gets $48,444 to assist in the purchase of a Circul-Air Roto-Decon washer and three CrewProtect 50 air filtration and decontamination systems.
The funding will also cover specialized decontamination detergents and cleaning products, including industrial fire wipes and soaps designed to remove harmful contaminants.
“Our firefighters face evolving hazards every day from long-term health risks to new challenges like lithium-ion battery incidents,” said Essex Fire Chief Jason Pillon.
“This funding allows us to invest in the equipment and resources needed to protect our team and improve our emergency response — ultimately making our community safer.”
Kingsville Fire and Rescue Services and LaSalle Fire Service will each receive just over $36,000.
Kingsville’s funding will be used to purchase four industrial air cleaner units, complete with an activation system and optical sensors. The units are designed to remove contaminants from fire halls, according to officials.
LaSalle will use its funding to buy six spare sets of bunker gear and 55 particulate-blocking hoods.
“These investments strengthen LaSalle Fire Service as a whole and help us to continue delivering the highest level of fire protection,” said fire Chief Ed Thiessen in a statement.
“We are grateful to MPP Leardi and the Province of Ontario for their support.”