Municipalities say no to special levy for firefighter mental health supports
Saskatchewan’s urban municipalities have voted against a proposal to collect a levy to help pay for mental supports for volunteer firefighters. But the group which offers these services will continue to advocate for more funding.
Municipal leaders at this week’s annual SUMA convention in Regina acknowledged the need for more supports for firefighters dealing with trauma and stress, but there were concerns about the idea of a one-off levy of 50 cents per person to go into a special trust fund.
“It’s a huge program and we continue to build it,” Patty Stewart McCord, the coordinator for the Saskatchewan Fire Service critical incident stress management team, told paNOW. “We need funding to back what needs to happen and it’s very important to secure extra funding any way we can get it.”
The program offers crisis intervention services for firefighters struggling with the mental stress of doing their work. It is supported by the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs and the Emergency Management and Fire Safety branch of government. But the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighter’s Association wants these mental health needs met by communities as a whole.