The chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is reacting to federal government numbers on how much the First Nation receives for firefighting.
Yesterday, the Harper government told MBC News it gives fire protection capital and training money to PAGC.
Chief Peter Beatty says there is some truth in the government’s statements but notes Pelican Narrows has a fire truck that has been in operation since at least the 1970’s.
He adds the government has offered to pay $125,000 for a new truck but this would only cover half the cost.
Beatty says this would leave PBCN on the hook for the other half plus the cost of additional equipment.
“It doesn’t list the improvements to put on and to train firefighters,” he says.
The PBCN Chief says it is misleading for the government to throw out large figures without mentioning this money must be spread over 26 communities.
He adds there are also other deeper issues facing the communities that increase fire risk.
“One of the contributing factors is the overcrowding on-reserve and in this case (the recent fire), this older building, had I think nine or 10 people living there.”
Richard Kent travels to a number of PAGC communities to provide firefighting training.
He says $120,000 doesn’t go far when you consider training manuals cost $100 and a fire-training nozzle can be upwards of $1,000.
Kent adds existing government funding also has to cover travel costs and wages.
There is also the challenge of trying to do too much with too little time.
“I’ve got the firefighter training to do, of course,” he says. “I’ve got inspections to do, fire-investigation, search-and-rescue, emergency preparedness, meeting with federal and provincial governments about the emergency issues, school programs…”
He says in 2011 he was in the middle of a firefighting training course on Red Earth when word came in that Wollaston Lake was being threatened by fire and smoke.
Kent says he had to drop everything and get over to the community to help with the evacuation.
He also points out many of the volunteer firefighters have other jobs and are often away at the mine sites when fires break out.
Kent, who was employed in Prince Albert as a firefighter, adds they received training there every day.
That’s a luxury volunteer firefighters on-reserve often don’t have because of work and other commitments, he says.