December 7, 1999
(Municipal and Provincial Affairs)

The following statement was issued today by Lloyd Matthews, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Each year at this time, it is traditional for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Chiefs and Firefighters to presents its annual brief to the Social Policy Committee of government � this is a comprehensive and professionally prepared document and it serves to outline the association's views and suggestions in the important areas of fire education, protection and prevention.

The association's brief was presented earlier today and, on this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all honourable members, to acknowledge the tremendous contribution firefighters make in terms of protecting the lives and property of citizens throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

In its letter accompanying the brief, the association stated that it is most pleased with the support shown by the chair and members of the Social Policy Committee of government. The association's letter states and I quote: "The support shown by this committee to our concerns will go a long way in providing a visible symbol of your government's support to the many men and women who give so much of their time as members of our fire departments."

The association works closely with the Fire Commissioner's Office and it plays an instrumental role in many fire-related activities including, among many others, the Learn Not To Burn Program. This is a life-safety skills program for children and it stresses the teaching of positive and practical fire prevention behaviours. As a direct result of the input of the association, this program is now part of the curriculum in 56 per cent of our schools.

It is simply not possible to place a dollar value on the contributions that our 6,503 paid and volunteered firefighters make to our province. It is a contribution beyond price.

Today we have 306 fire departments in the province. They are professional, first class firefighting units that are comparable to any that can be found in this country. Firefighters are indeed special people. They devote their time, energy and skills at considerable sacrifice. This is especially true when you consider that most firefighters are engaged full-time in other occupations from which they have to earn a living and support their families. As well, they are often called upon to put their own safety on the line in times of life-threatening fires. The men and women who operate our fire departments are deserving of our utmost respect and admiration.

As a government, we commend the leadership role of the fire service throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. As minister responsible for fire protection, I want to assure the association of our intention to do everything possible within our financial and administrative means to allow them to effectively fulfil their important mandate.

1999 12 07 2:10 p.m.