Firefighters have our backs, and we have theirs

By MPP Toby Barrett

To The Haldimand Press

Recently Paris, Ontario hosted the 120th annual meeting of the Fire Fighters Association of Ontario. Premier Doug Ford and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, as well as Brant-Brantford MPP and volunteer firefighter Will Bouma, attended to celebrate our volunteer firefighters.

Over 60% of Ontario’s firefighters are volunteers, and across Haldimand-Norfolk it’s 100%.

These firefighters are from our communities and are committed to keeping their friends and neighbours safe. They are on call around the clock, missing birthdays, anniversaries, and other special family occasions, to protect people and property. They are the backbone of firefighting in rural Ontario.

There is something unique about volunteer firefighters. They arrive on the scene, and on a good day, everyone leaves without a scratch. But on their worst day, when it’s a bad accident or a five-alarm blaze, it can be a nightmare.

We know many of our firefighters struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It is our duty to take care of them because they take care of us.