It’s the Yukon government’s fault that some Yukon fire chiefs are choosing between responding to emergencies or breaking occupational health and safety rules, according to a Facebook post by the Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs on March 10.
About four out of every five volunteer firefighters are using expired fire protection gear, per the post.
On the morning of March 12, volunteer firefighters from five departments responded to a fire that destroyed the Tagish Community Centre, which houses a library. The territorial government has committed to rebuilding a community space, although the cost to rebuild and a timeline for diverting library services weren’t immediately available when Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn spoke with reporters on the afternoon of March 12.
None of the political party leaders with seats in the House could tell reporters if any firefighters didn’t respond to the fire at the community centre due to a lack of proper gear, resources or funding.
At shortly after 3 p.m. on afternoon of the Tagish fire, Mostyn indicated to reporters that he hadn’t had an up-to-date briefing on the ongoing situation.
“The embers aren't even extinguished from that fire," Mostyn said.
In the Facebook post from earlier in the week, the association calls the use of expired equipment a workplace health and safety violation that the Yukon government could have prevented since they said the government knew the personal protective equipment (PPE) was expiring.
The association said the government didn’t listen to the alarm bells until the issue reached a “crisis.”
“Only after receiving an order from Workers’ Compensation did the government manage to find the money for PPE — but it will be months before it arrives,” reads the Facebook post.
“Because of this crisis, the government is now seeking an exemption to allow fire fighters to respond in expired gear.”
The social media post said a 2021 review recommended more funding and staffing for the Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Yukon government’s planned spending for the office in 2025-26 is up from the 2024-25 estimates and forecast but is less than 2023-24 actual spending.
The association and the opposition claim the government is blaming fire chiefs for the problem.
Yukon Party MLA for Lake Laberge Brad Cathers raised fire chiefs’ concerns in the legislature on March 11 and 12.
"We know that firefighters had been responding at times when they had holes in their boots or other damage to their turn-up gear, and they put their personal safety at risk to respond to the needs of their community and their neighbours. That should never be happening," Cathers told reporters in the atrium of the legislative building after the question period on March 12.
Mostyn indicated he was surprised to see the association's social media post. He confirmed he met about protective gear and funding with the association for about two hours over the past weekend.
“We did have a very robust conversation. I wouldn’t characterize it as the meeting going bad,” Mostyn said in the legislative assembly.
“As a matter of fact, I think the meeting went very well. I was heartened to hear the views of the assembled firefighters and fire chiefs.”
He said the Fire Marshal’s Office is undergoing review to see what kind of money is needed over the coming months and years.
Mostyn, who effectively serves as the labour minister since he’s in charge of the Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board, said two-thirds of the gear the association requested has been ordered and is on its way, and the other one-third is being assessed and is going out to procurement soon.
“I asserted and told them forthrightly that PPE is absolutely essential to keep people safe and I absolutely must insist that we get on top of this,” he said.
Mostyn said he had asked the fire service why some protective equipment wasn’t taken out of its wrapping in 10 years and why some responders were wearing gear for 20 years.
“I know the importance of personal protective equipment and how important it is,” Mostyn told reporters on March 12.
“It has always been a priority for me, and when I learned last October, shortly after passing the budget items that the fire chiefs have asked me to provide, I learned that there was a problem in personal protective equipment, and I immediately had the department reach out and started working on that.”
Mostyn said the first round of PPE procurement was done in December 2024. That gear was supposed to arrive in February.
He said the Community Services department is assessing the results of workplace health and safety inspections, or a safety audit, done about a week to 10 days ago or so.
“That's where we learned a little bit about the PPE, some of the issues with expired PPE,” he said.
“The (acting president of the Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board) told me on Friday that some of the PPE that they found during these inspections was still in its wrapper. It hadn't been used in 10 years and had been sitting on the shelves in fire halls for 10 years without being used. So, I'm looking into this and seeing what exactly has happened here.”
Mostyn didn't know exactly what type of gear, how much of it there was or why it remained in its packaging.
Firefighters are supposed to keep records of their gear, and fire chiefs must keep those records in line, Mostyn said. He added some records were missing.
Mostyn said a committee has been put together with fire chiefs to work together on the matter. The department regularly meets with the association, and Mostyn has met with the association twice in 2025, per Mostyn.
“We'll assess whether or not that gear can still be used, or whether it has to be taken immediately out of place," Mostyn said.
Mostyn pointed to an April 2024 letter containing a wish list from the Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs.
“This all the things they wanted addressed,” he said.
“There's no mention of PPE in this letter.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
