Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement, Mr. Speaker, was the operation of fire departments in the local communities that I represent in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, considering the volunteer firefighters are risking their lives for the service and protection of the communities, will the government develop a comprehensive checklist, whether it be proper valves functioning, breathing apparatus, heated truck facilities, proper safety training, a listed checklist to each community? Will the Minister commit to that, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have an assistant fire marshal in the Inuvik region that would be more than willing to go and visit the communities and work with them to do an inventory of the type of equipment they have and some of the training that they need. He’d be willing to do that and that would help the community identify some of their priorities. Thank you.
In the community of Tuk -- I’ve been a firefighter there for over 20 years, Mr. Speaker -- we have no breathing apparatuses. We have six units that were there from the 1980s. The bunker gear is outdated, Mr. Speaker. We were at a fire about a month and a half ago. I’m asking the Minister if he could commit to find the funding and the financing to address these issues in all of Nunakput. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the allocation of money, we give all our money to the communities now and the communities will then do their capital plan and do their priority list. We’re having more and more communities now identifying some firefighting equipment, and their fire halls, they’re identifying those as part of their capital plans. So the Member’s communities up in Nunakput, I’m sure, once they work with the assistant fire marshal and realize what their priorities are and what equipment they need, I’m sure that they’ll take it upon themselves to identify those and start putting some money towards purchasing those. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, during the transfer of the New Deal, it’s difficult for the smaller communities to catch up on these. There’s too little capital dollars given to the communities. Mr. Speaker, all we’re asking for in the communities that I represent is that the fire marshal goes up there and does a proper check, a checklist in regard to the safety of the firefighters and not only that, for the safety of the people. Can the Minister commit to me that a fire marshal will go to every community and check the facilities that are in the communities? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I have had some discussions with the assistant fire marshal and he’s aware of some of the community demands. He’s more than willing to meet with the communities, identifying some of their equipment, their priorities, what needs to be improved. They’re also planning on having regional workshops, where they bring the firefighters in from the communities and have a regional workshop in Inuvik. I think that’s a great idea instead of sending them a long way. I think we’d be able to accommodate more people by having it in the region. These are initiatives that he’s got on the go and I think they’re very good initiatives that would benefit the communities in the Beaufort-Delta. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s all good news to hear from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if we could do a joint letter to that fire marshal from myself and from him to get him into the communities to get this issue sorted out before a fire does occur. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I will communicate to the assistant fire marshal in the Inuvik region the member’s desire to have him go into his communities. I’m sure that he will be well aware, after our discussion today, that he is needed in Nunakput. But I will communicate to him the Member’s desire and we’ll make sure that he gets up and works with the communities in identifying their firefighting equipment. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
