 (1).jpg)
There are growing concerns from firefighters in Saskatchewan about proposed changes to The Construction Codes Act from the Saskatchewan Government that would allow municipalities to dispose of derelict buildings by burning them down.
The announcement was made during the SARM (Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities) convention in March. The Saskatchewan Government said their intention was to help eligible municipalities dispose of the buildings and provide training for local volunteer firefighters.
While the proposed changes from the Provincial government were met with approval from the Rural Municipalities, they have been met with questions from the firefighters.
Humboldt’s Mike Kwasnica who serves as the President of the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs and said he was disappointed with the lack of consultation from the Saskatchewan Government, saying the firefighters were notified about the proposed changes just shortly before the announcement at the SARM Convention.
“We actually found out about it through other means just prior like an hour prior to being announced that SARM and we did talk to the Minister briefly at the at the SARM Convention
“I'm just a little surprised that that it wasn't brought to either one of our attention or even asked what we thought of the idea. If we're going to be the ones that are getting the authorization to do this.”
Kwasnica noted in the past, firefighters used the burning of derelict buildings for training but were dealt with strict regulations from Sask. Environment that hindered them from continuing the training. With the announcement from the Saskatchewan Government earlier this spring, there was concern about how it would be brought back.
“What are some of the guidelines that they're going to ask us to follow,” said Kwasnica, "because there should be some guidelines that we need to follow. There's NFPA 1403, which is a standard for live fire training that requires a strict set of guidelines that we have to adhere to in order to be able to a safe and effective training session using an older building to burn it down and we want to make sure we do that as safely as possible, that we don't have any contaminants that are within that building that are going to cause us to have ill effects down the road.”
Along with further consultation about the amendments, Kwasnica would like to see further guidelines implemented on how to get rid of derelict buildings, noting that it’s a problem that most communities in Saskatchewan are faced with.
“I think that's the problem the province has is that there's just not enough resources to to take care of a lot of these buildings, and I I honestly feel that they're going to use us as a clean-up crew and make it easier for us to get rid of old buildings and not have to take them to the landfill.”
The Opposition Sask NDP said they’re committed to standing with the firefighters and will be voting against Bill 21.
On Tuesday, Saskatchewan NDP Municipal Affairs Shadow Minister Jared Clarke was joined at the Legislature by Tyler Packham, president of Regina Professional Fire Fighters Local 181 to voice the concerns of firefighters with the proposed changes.
Inside a media release from the Sask NDP, Packham released a statement.
“As fire fighters, we’re trained to protect lives, communities and property – not to stand by while buildings are intentionally set ablaze. While we understand and support the provincial government’s goal of addressing old and dilapidated buildings, purposely burning them down exposes communities to unnecessary risks, including harmful smoke, toxic carcinogens and the unpredictable nature of fire that could threaten nearby homes and businesses,” said Packham. “Fire is not a tool of convenience. Saskatchewan communities deserve safe and sensible solutions, not shortcuts that put their safety at risk. Local 181 urges provincial leaders to alter course and work with first responders to find a safe solution to this ongoing challenge.”
The opposition NDP noted that The Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association and Regina Professional Fire Fighters Local 181 all voiced concerns about the proposed changes.