“They’ve been using the equipment for 10 years, what’s another few weeks?”
Minister Mostyn, I’d like to fill you in on what another few weeks is… it's another few weeks that my son, and our communities’ sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers attend to tragic and potentially life-threatening scenes with expired helmets, expired SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus), boots with holes, gloves with holes, rolling apparatus (trucks) that need repair, expired turnout gear – choosing the best available of gear that is past its service life…. All of the precautions to protect the lives of our volunteers and keep them safe from the inherent dangers of firefighters. So, what is a few more weeks? It's more time for tragedy to strike, more time that our firefighters are forced to make the hideous choice of responding to our communities’ emergencies without the proper gear, or not respond at all; it’s a few more weeks of the families, friends and co-workers of our firefighters worrying every time our firefighters respond to a call…will they return safe and uninjured? …. It's just another few weeks… IT COULD BE A FIREFIGHTER’S LIFETIME!!
THIS IS NOT OK WITH ME!
The requests for replacement equipment have been made for several years!! Your government has failed to act on these urgent matters such that it is now a CRISIS!!
THIS IS NOT OK WITH ME!
Your response to the questions posed to you on March 12, 2025 show your utter lack of concern, lack of understanding and lack of respect for our firefighters, their families, friends and co-workers – all of those who worry when they are responding to someone else's emergency.
THIS IS NOT OK WITH ME!
The condition of our firefighters PPE and their equipment in general is now its own emergency, deserving the same immediate response as every emergency our firefighters respond to.
The volunteer halls in the Yukon service the entire Yukon, including mutual aid to Whitehorse. They attend accidents on all of our highways, they attend fires in all of our communities and the vast spaces between. They give their valuable time to everyone. They deserve the very best equipment available, they should NOT be taking additional risks because of inadequate equipment.
Regards,
Karen Fischer
North of Whitehorse
