Investing in Our Safety: Moving to a Paid-on-Call Model for Volunteer Firefighters
Another important legacy of this Board will be the move to a Paid-on-Call (POC) model for our Volunteer Fire Departments—a significant investment in community safety at a time when the demands on our volunteers are rapidly evolving.
Today’s volunteer firefighters do far more than respond to fires. They are often first on scene at medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, and downed power lines. They are our lifeline in moments of crisis—delivering fast, sometimes life-saving, care long before other responders arrive. Their commitment is vital, and the reality is: a community cannot be healthy or resilient without a strong, well-supported fire department.
Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters has become increasingly challenging. The POC model helps address that by offering fair compensation for time, training, and service—while still retaining the volunteer spirit that defines these departments.
What It Means for our Taxes
You may have already noticed a change to the Halfmoon Bay Fire Department line on your property tax bill. Part of that increase reflects the pro-rated cost of the new model, which comes into effect in September. Next year will be the first full year of POC implementation, so the impact on your tax notice will be more visible in 2026.
While this investment does come with a cost, it directly supports the safety, resilience, and emergency preparedness of our community—and helps ensure that when you call for help, someone trained and ready is there to respond.
What Other Communities Are Doing
We’re not alone in making this shift. In fact, most regional districts across BC have already moved to a Paid-on-Call model. We’re now joining them in taking this step to modernize and stabilize our local fire services.
Advocacy at the Provincial Level
As our local departments continue to take on responsibilities that historically fall under provincial agencies (like BC Hydro and BC Ambulance), it’s also time to call on the Province to contribute their fair share. In April, the SCRD brought forward a resolution to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC), which was endorsed and will now go to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) in September:
Volunteer Fire Department Funding Model – Sunshine Coast RD
Whereas volunteer fire departments in rural and remote areas are burdened with longer and more frequent call outs to attend downed power lines, motor vehicle incidents and other emergency calls until BC Hydro or BC Ambulance arrives on scene;
Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province to review the funding model for volunteer fire departments to include reasonable and proportional funding from BC Hydro, BC Ambulance, and ICBC to reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at jgabias@scrd.ca. As always, thank you for your continued engagement and support.
Justine
The 2025 Membership, picture courtesy of the Halfmoon Bay Fire Department https://halfmoonbayfire.ca/membership/
We’re lucky to have ‘em!