Ontario government also plans legislation to reduce required qualifying service time from 15 years to 10 years.
THUNDER BAY — Wildland firefighters will have the same presumptive coverage from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as municipal firefighters, under new legislation and regulatory changes proposed by the Ontario government.
"We applaud the government for expanding the coverage to include wildland firefighters who also are at risk due to their occupation," said Greg Horton, president of the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association. Earlier this year, OPSEU raised concerns about the impact of smoke exposure on wildland firefighters.
Natural Resources Minister Graydon Smith said the planned legislation will support "frontline workers who work tirelessly to keep us safe, by improving their access to benefit entitlements and making them eligible for the same presumptive benefits as all other firefighters and fire investigators."
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