The Ontario government is set to invest over $10 million in the construction of five new training facilities and the training of thousands of firefighters across the province.
This initiative aims to bolster the skills and resources of firefighters to better protect communities.
Premier Doug Ford emphasized the importance of this investment, stating, “Investments in firefighter training are investments in the safety and resilience of our communities. This new funding will help ensure that our firefighters have the skills and resources they need to protect people and communities and return home safely to their families.”
The majority of the funding, over $9 million, will be directed towards the construction of five new training centres under the province’s Skills Development Fund (SDF). These facilities are expected to train more than 28,000 firefighters over the next five years, providing critical support to Ontario’s growing communities and enabling local firefighters to access training closer to home.
In addition to this, approximately $970,000 will be invested in a training project in partnership with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA). This project will offer Fire Ground Survival training to firefighters in the Niagara, Toronto, and Kingston regions. The Town of Georgina will also receive provincial support to train and upskill its volunteer firefighters.
“Our firefighters are true heroes who face danger head-on and without hesitation to protect our communities,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “By investing in these projects, we’re helping to ensure our firefighters have the training they need to keep both themselves and others safe. By expanding training capacity, we’re opening doors for more people who want to become firefighters and protect our communities.”
The funding will be allocated to various municipalities and organizations as follows:
- Town of Georgina: $550,436 for the construction of a new Fire & Rescue Training Facility.
- Town of Orangeville: $3,667,650 for the construction of a new Fire Services Campus.
- Town of Newmarket: $865,046 for the construction of a new fire training facility in Aurora.
- Municipality of Clarington: $3,216,384 for the construction of a new fire training complex.
- Town of Hanover: $780,331 for the construction of a new fire hall.
- OPFFA Fire Ground Survival Train-the-Trainer Program: $970,150 to deliver fire ground survival training to career firefighters in Niagara, Toronto, and Kingston.
- Town of Georgina – Community Safety Skills Development: $439,373 for training volunteer firefighters in Georgina.
The province invests more than $1 billion annually in employment services and training programs, including Better Jobs Ontario and the Skills Development Fund Training Stream, to support workers in securing well-paying careers. These investments are part of Ontario’s broader efforts to attract, support, and protect workers.
Greg Horton, President of the OPFFA, highlighted the significance of this support: “Professional development and capacity building are core value propositions the OPFFA offers its members. Historically, the focus for firefighters is on training to extinguish fires and save lives, but there hasn’t been adequate training on firefighter survival. With the support of government funding, not only will more firefighters be trained on these vital life-saving skills, but they will also be able to bring it back to their local fire services, many of which face financial and geographical barriers in accessing training programs like Fire Ground Survival. We are incredibly grateful to this government for continuing to support and value the safety of our members.”
This investment reflects Ontario’s commitment to enhancing the safety and preparedness of its firefighters, ensuring they have the necessary training and resources to serve their communities effectively.