FR Steering Committee
8 Sept 2025
In attendance
Joel Hildebrand (Wainwright, AB)
Jordan Reinhart (Gagetown, NB)
Angus MacDonald (Halifax, NS)
James Brown (Borden, ON)
Rick Desautels (Shilo, MB)
Ryan Sutton (Esquimalt, BC)
Steeve Grandbois (Valcartier, QC)
James Potts (OPI)
Brendalee Blaney (LRO SME)
Meeting Opening
Harassment statement and land acknowledgment
Introduction of Participants
Introduction from President Winger, keep having meetings in person, important to come together to address issues that are important to the FR committee. Ryan Sutton brings up that CFFM has been asked to provide fire protection to Coast Guard assets in Victoria.
Responsibility of steering committee to be driving force on all FR related issues.
UNDE can provide staffing training and classification training
Expresses the need to keep informed and keep information flowing to UNDE about changes.
Coast Guard coming to DND members will stay with UCTE with support from UNDE.
Member engagement funds, $10 per member in attendance expected to attend – up to 2 events per year.
National Executive not aware of proposed TORs for steering committee and was not discussed at previous meeting. Possibly fell through cracks. Upcoming meeting for NE.
Provide National with well-articulated themes so they can be addressed at the L1 issue. Need to follow the chains when events (i.e. vehicle issues) happen. Possibly use health and safety options with filling out a 663. Can use 663 process to deal with insufficient equipment for emergency response.
James Potts 663 will be imputed into the guardian, internal complaint resolution process.
Brendalee Blaney needs to be included on FHUMCC for all units that have UMCCs with their respective chiefs. Include Brendalee on steering committee emails.
Louis Bisson
National pools are public record. FR2 and FR3 pools that have used Vid Recruiter for RCN for national pools. Ask what’s valid and what’s not valid. Qualifications based on FMD 1004. A Fire chief has said that FMD 1004 does not meet the requirements of the Navy.
Lobby to not use Vid Recruiter. Have a human do the job.
Does the steering committee want to attempt to enforce FMD 1004 during the hiring process. Committee should determine proper qualifications to be included in FMD 1004 and lobby CFFM to implement them in the directive. Must be applied consistently in hiring/promotions processes.
Discussion around what is the best process to engage CFFM or ADM HR civ or the local hiring managers.
Louis is waiting on two cases that will help decide the way forward on staffing direction. The committee should invite Louis back next year for the updates.
Paul Dagenais
RP Ops job content grievances 148 from across Canada. The job description seems to be the same, the work being completed is different in each location and does not match the descriptions.
DCCO wants to create a job description that will suit all FRs across the country. With the backlog that exists for all other groups, it will take several years to get through other occupations that have several hundred pages of standards compared to the 15 pages for FR.
PSAC can negotiate to have standard changed, but final say rests with TB.
Discussions on the complexities that exist in qualification standards, work descriptions and how they tie together. PA has been involved in a 20-year negotiation with the employer about changing the standards. It would be difficult to do the same thing with the FR group.
Andrea Peart
PFAS Firefighting safely. 1271 Part II CLC 127.1(1) for CLC 126. See attached power point. All information will be shared with the committee.
Liam McCarthy
25 & Out Included in fall economic statement. Announced during the election. Haven’t seen it in legislation. Should be included in the budget.
First step will be to ensure the operational group is complete. Step 2 is obtaining 2.33 accrual rate. Liam on PSPAC now. Budget in October. Dec 5th for PSPAC next meeting.
September 9
Committee starts with strategic planning. Asks if CFFM can supply a better training package or risk assessment for the bases.
Hurst combi tools are in the system.
Priorities for clothing are flash hood, bunker gear and rain jacket.
Borden and Esquimalt need new wild land gear it is on their scale of issue. Halifax needs to be identified as wildland so they can have it on their scale of issue.
Ben Gagnon DCFFM & Andre-Marc Dallaire ADM-Mat
CFFM was engaged by TB about pensions for FR group and what is classified as operational. CFFM recommended all positions in Firehall be included in 25 & out.
CFFM provides details on the changes to Health Canada occupational health assessments. Waiting on Health Canada to sign off on the testing. Health Canada can do onsite testing if they have the staffing availability. Dr. shortages in areas led to HC allowing outside physicians to perform periodical medical assessments. Goal of HC is to return to HC doctors performing all medicals.
Each base needs to establish risks associated with health concerns. This will then lead into what screening can be done by health Canada. It will also lead to understanding what preventative measures can be implemented. HC is of opinion that cancer screening is responsibility of members’ family doctor until can be established that workplace is risk factor for cancer – WHAT??
There is a priority of Firehalls that need to be rebuilt. CFFM is trying to work with RP Ops to not waste resources, why waste time fixing halls when they are just going to be rebuilt. New halls will be built in accordance with standards required for cancer reduction.
QETE is testing bunker gear, old and new, trying to figure out what PFAS levels exist in the fabrics. This will allow them to determine what is the biggest risk the smoke and other toxins that the firefighters can be exposed to. Or if the major risk is the gear that is the biggest risk.
Directive on decontamination exists and all halls should be following the procedure after training. If proper decontamination leads to OT, this will not be questioned.
Crews to receive foam training. Possible for 12 per hall. A contract has gone out for an organization to provide training. There will be a national budget to support this.
CF will start to replace vehicles over the next few years. Oshkosh/Pierce is winning bids. Going to be getting away from articulating aerial towers.
CFFM to investigate why new rescues not delivered as spec’d out and who approved delivery (Paul Martel?).
CFFM and ADM Mat questions on clothing issues, Halifax to be included on scale of issue for wild land. Scale of issue for Esquimalt and Borden. See if it’s an issue on logistics website and address the scale of issue for each person. ADM Mat looking into adding second set of structural firefighting gloves to scale of issue.
ADM Mat to look into why station wear pants being provided by Logistics Unicorp (LU) are not the same pants included in clothing trial (industrial pant vs. wildland pant) – some members receiving proper pants, some not.
Jordan talked about blue card requirement for Gagetown CFFM states it can be an asset qualification, but it is not a requirement.
Hazmat assessments complete – Suffield, Val Cartier, Halifax, Esquimalt identified as requiring tech level response.
Flash hood trail in process. No movement from last year. But it is the priority in clothing issues.
Jacket that CFB Esquimalt purchased was shown to CFFM and ADM Mat. Asked if that jacket can be the standard for the cold weather / rain jacket on the firefighter scale of issue.
Committee Updates
Wellness committee FRs can become certified fitness instructors. Courses are available through PSP.
Halifax is having issues fixing treadmills that are supplied by PSP.
TOR’s – stagger terms to avoid full replacement of committee, Separate Atlantic region into NS, NL & NB, – discuss role of Vice-Chair
OPI is going to engage health Canada about medicals that screen for job requirement health, cancer and heart health.
Request update from ADM Mat regarding literature review of PFAS free gear.
Joel Hildebrand – presentation on PFAS chemicals
Meeting adjourned