The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Graham Letto, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to highlight our government’s recent announcement of the expansion to the Fire Protection Vehicle Program. We have made changes to the program so that it works better for communities, fire departments, and the residents they serve.

We have expanded the program to allow communities to apply for cost-shared funding under one of three funding streams, depending on which stream best suits their financial needs. Communities can now apply for cost-shared funding for used fire protection vehicles, as well as for a fixed contribution for new vehicles.

The program has been improved so that our fire protection budget will make a bigger impact in more areas of the province. The changes will also provide increased opportunities for communities to collaborate and take a shared approach to fire services.

I would like to thank all the firefighters, their families, and the fire departments in the province for their dedication and sacrifices. I would also like to acknowledge the good work of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services. We look forward to continuing to work with our fire services partners to strengthen the level of fire and emergency services for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Thank you.