Dear Colleagues:

As the new president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, I have enjoyed meeting

many of you across the country and I look forward to working together to improve the lot of fire services in Canada.

Among my priorities during my tenure will be to:

• Lobby for legislation to improve financial aid for volunteer firefighters,

• Improve firefighter and public safety through building code changes designed to reduce the rate of fire spread and strengthen building structures, and

• Lobby for increased federal involvement in -- and financing for -- preparation for major emergencies.

I encourage you to become a member of CAFC if you haven’t already done so. It’s to your advantage because it gives us a stronger voice to bring our collective concerns to government. Our non-profit, non-governmental organization represents the interests of all firefighting communities in Canada – volunteer, career, industrial, airport, DND and First Nations. 

We are the national voice of the Canadian fire service.

We have already made a difference. We successfully pushed for legislation favouring self-extinguishing cigarettes. We’ve influenced changes to the national building and fire codes.

This is a highly effective organization that helps to ensure our collective voice is heard. I look forward to working with you to keep CAFC strong, well-respected and resourceful in encouraging positive change.

Regards,

W. (Bruce) Burrell,
President, CAFC