Legislative Victories
1909
Provincial Firemen's Association of Alberta meets in Red Deer
1919
Bill 43: An Act to Amend the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1918
- Firemen now covered under workmen’s compensation
1924
Bill 27: An Act Respecting Two-Platoon System for the Employees of Permanent Fire Departments
- Allows for 2 work shift systems, system 1- 24 hour shifts, system- 2 10/14 Hour shifts.
1953
Bill 80: Amend Fire Department Platoon Act
- Bill provides for collective bargaining and also an arbitration board.
1970
Bill 92: An Act Respecting Labour Relations for Fire Fighters and Policeman
Jason Copping - Minister of Labour and Immigration
1983
Bill 44: Labour Statutes Amendment Act
- Enacts Fire Fighters and Police Officers Act.
- Fire Fighters and Police now have their own area within the Code.
1986
Bill 17: Highway Traffic Amendment Act 1986 “Priority of Passage Legislation”
- Though Civil and Criminal Court Proceedings the AFFA lobbied for legislationthat allowed for emergency vehicle operations.
- The Local involved was the 1st in Alberta to achieve indemnification language intheir collective agreement setting the path for all Alberta locals moving forward.
2003
Bill 102: Workers Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act - MLA Richard Magnus
- This marks the 1st introduction of presumptive legislation for firefighters in Alberta.
Brad Readman, president - Alberta Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association
2004
Bill 207: Amendment to Highway Traffic Act - MLA Richard Magnus
- Requires motorists to reduce their speed to 60 Km/Hour when passing through an accident scene where emergency workers are present.
Bill 50: Fire Fighter Cardiac Coverage - MLA Richard Magnus
- Professional Alberta Fire Fighters are now covered by WCB for any cardiac event occurring within 24 hours of a working incident.
2005
Bill 50: Workers Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act - MLA Richard Magnus
- WBC now covers Fire Fighters for a myocardial infarction event 24 after the attendance of an emergency response.
Regulatory Amendment: Workers Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act AFFA
- Primary Site: Lung Cancer.
2006
Bill 026: MANDATORY TESTING AND DISCLOSURE ACT - MLA Thomas Lukaszuk
- Provides rights to Alberta Emergency Responders to oblige any person who may have exchanged bodily fluids with emergency workers to submit a blood sample for testing.
- First joint combined effort with the Alberta Federation of Police
2008
Bill 43: Emergency Health Services Act
- Ground Ambulance will no longer be the responsibility of the municipalities and be transitioned to a single provincial health authority.
2010
APFFPA Hosts their 1st IAFF Fire Ops
- Attended by a large number of Alberta MLA’s including then Premier of Alberta Ed Stelmach
Bill 201: Workers Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act- MLA George Rogers
- Primary Site: Esophageal Cancer, Testicular.
2011
Regulation Amendment: Employment Standards Code-Fire Fighters Hours of Work
- Through an APFFPA lobby effort we are successful in establishing fire fighters hours of work to include 10/14 and 24-hour shifts.
Regulatory Amendment: Workers Compensation (Firefighters) Amendment Act - MLA Thomas Lukaszuk
- Primary Site: Testicular, Breast, Multiple Myeloma and Skin.
2012
Bill 1: Workers Compensation Act 2012 - Alberta Premier Redford
- If a fire fighter is diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder by a physician or psychologist, the post-traumatic disorder shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proven, to be an injury that arose out of and occurred during the course of the worker’s employment in response to a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events to which the worker was exposed in carrying out the workers’ duties as a firefighter.
- This Bill also includes Paramedics, Police Officers and Peace Officers.
2016
Bill 30- Review of WCB and Employment Standards
- The APFFPA provided a comprehensive brief identifying areas of the WCB and OH&S that require change.
- This led to numerous changes to both including
- Reducing testicular cancer latency period from 20 to 10 years
- Adding communication operators to presumptive PTSD
- Adding ovarian and cervical cancers to our presumptive list (1st in the world)
- Amending presumptive cardiac coverage
- Removing the cap on WCB payments
2017
Bill 17- Review of Employment Standards Code & Labour Relations Code
- The AFFA provided a comprehensive brief identifying areas of the ESC and LRC that would require amendments.
- Both of these documents have not been revised for over 2 decades and the following are some examples of Bill 17
- Protect Fire Fighters Hours of work- 10/14 and 24 hour
- Maintain Fire Fighters as an essential service
- Maintain the current arbitration system
2019
Budget 2019 commits $9 million over three years to implement the Heroes Fund and first responders platform commitments, starting in April 2020.
- The Heroes Fund will provide a one-time, tax-free $100,000 payment to eligible families of first responders who die as a result of performing their duties. Government has also committed funding to improve services for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
2023
Bill 9 introduces presumptive worker's compensation cancer coverage for firefighters who develop cancers after fighting the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire.