Whereas the provincial government has passed Bill 46 Housing Statutes Development Financing Amendment Act, 2023 amending Section 559, subsection 2a of the Local Government Act to include fire protection facilities in the collection of Development Cost Charges DCCs, but does not specifically define fire protection facilities; And whereas many smaller local governments have a limited number of brick-and-mortar fire protection buildings, but a large number of other capital expenses related to fire protection, such as vehicles and equipment: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate with the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs that fire protection facilities be specifically defined in the relevant documentation andor legislation to include the purchase and maintenance of all capital items related to fire protection including, but not limited to, fire trucks, duty vehicles, hoses, breathing apparatuses, communications equipment and all other capital expenditures that may be required to equip and maintain fire protection services.
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs Fire departments play a critical role in emergency management, including disaster response, rescues, hazardous material incidents, medical emergencies, as well as fire prevention. Local governments may now include capital costs related to providing, constructing, altering, or expanding fire protection facilities in Development Cost Charges DCC programs. Eligible capital costs may include the construction of facilities owned by a local government or shared with other municipalities. Examples of eligible projects include fire facilities Master Plans, firehalls, training facilities, and land acquisition related to eligible facilities. Consistent with the other categories of DCCs, non-fixed capital expenses related to vehicles, personal gear and equipment, and vehicle-related gear and equipment are ineligible. More information on the definition of fire protection services can be found in the Development Cost Charge Best Practices Guide. The intent is that developers contribute DCCs for long lasting assets that will, with proper maintenance, support service delivery for a period similar to the life of their development. Other, shorter-lived assets to equip and maintain fire protection services, and other DCC eligible services, should be financed with property taxes, which will include taxes on newly developed properties.