Thursday, July 3, 2008

Remembering the fallen

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 4, 2005


Firefighters across the Lower Mainland gathered in Burnaby on Monday afternoon to express support for a national program to compensate their families when one of their members dies in the line of duty.

Peter Julian, NDP member of Parliament for Burnaby-New Westminster, has introduced a private member's bill that would establish a new national public safety officer compensation benefit.

"What this means is that for in line-of-duty deaths, including cancer and heart attacks, there would be compensation benefits provided to their families," Julian said.

"In Canada, we have a patchwork of systems that, at best, leaves most firefighters out and, at worst, only partly compensates a firefighter's family for the loss of a loved one."

In Burnaby, line-of-duty deaths are compensated under the local union contract, which provides the family a lump sum payment equal to about two years' salary.

Julian's private member's bill, which will be debated in Parliament on Friday afternoon, would increase that benefit to nine times the annual salary and apply across the board to all public safety officers, including police officers, border guards and corrections officials, in the country.

"The stories we're hearing include spouses who have to take on a part-time job just to keep their homes and kids who have to forgo university because the family can't afford it," he said.

Mike Hurley, president of the Burnaby Firefighters' Association, said firefighters have had verbal support from federal politicians for the past 13 years but Julian's private member's bill will provide the first opportunity to have the issue debated in Parliament.

"Every year they tell us they support it, but they've never done anything about it," Hurley said. "I guess with this vote we'll find out who really supports it and who doesn't."

Hurley also noted that firefighters in the United States have had a similar compensation benefit since 1977.

If approved, the change could become the second major benefit increase for B.C. firefighters in a year.

During the recent provincial election campaign, the B.C. Liberals promised to introduce legislation in Victoria that would automatically compensate firefighters if they are diagnose with any of seven different types of cancer that have been identified as occupational hazards of the jobs. That new law is expected to be introduced during the fall sitting of the legislature.

No comments: