The Ontario government is investing $30 million over three years to provide 374 municipal fire departments with funding to support cancer prevention initiatives.
The funding, through the Fire Protection Grant, will be used to purchase equipment and make infrastructure upgrades to help reduce the long-term effects of exposure to fire-related contaminants and chemicals.
Firefighters are more likely to experience health problems because of exposure to hazardous chemicals.
In Canada, 50 to 60 firefighters die of cancer every year . . . half of them from Ontario.
There are about 33,000 municipal firefighters in Ontario, including over 12,500 full-time, nearly 20,000 volunteer and almost 400 part-time firefighters.
The breakdown of funding locally includes . . .
Aylmer- $8,230
Bayham- $16,460
Central Elgin- $31,690
Dutton Dunwich- $8,230
Malahide- $24,691
Southwold- $16,460
St. Thomas- $16,460
West Elgin- $16,460
