KENORA DISTRICT MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

SUBJECT: FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION SUPPORT

SUBMITTED BY: THE TOWNSHIP OF EAR FALLS 

YEAR: 2025
BACKGROUND:
In July 2022, Ontario Regulation 343/22 came into force, and the Office of the Fire Marshall released its Mandatory Certification Information Package for Ontario Fire Services which outlines the minimum certification standards for Ontario’s fire services. Most of the requirements have a compliance deadline of July 1, 2026.
The standards apply to all Ontario Fire Services, regardless of whether they are full-time or volunteer departments. There is no directed funding being provided by the Government of Ontario to municipalities to implement the training or certification requirements.
These certification requirements are a good way to ensure the safety of fire department personnel, and it is understood that these requirements will elevate the service quality for some departments. The ability for departments to complete legacy applications for some areas (Exterior Attack, Interior Attack and Team Lead) was appreciated and helpful for many volunteer departments. 
For remote communities in the Kenora District, meeting these requirements is a challenge from a cost and time perspective. While some of the requirements can be completed online, there are practical considerations, hands-on training, and testing/certification needs that may need to be completed outside of the municipality and take significant cost and time by the municipality and its department members. For volunteer departments, this is a challenge. 

RECOMMENDATION:
NOW THEREFORE MAY IT BE RESOLVED THAT the Kenora District Municipal Association lobby the Government of Ontario to provide an increased quantity of regional training and certification opportunities to facilitate the ability for municipalities to comply with the upcoming certification requirements; and 
FURTHER THAT the KDMA lobby the Government of Ontario to provide a conditional grant to fund the travel and training costs for volunteer firefighter training on a go-forward basis.

COMMITTEE ACTION: Moved with concurrence.