B.C. wildland firefighters press federal government for action during Parliament Hill lobby day
By Contributor
B.C. wildland firefighters, members of the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), were on Parliament Hill yesterday to meet with federal decision-makers and call for urgent action on key issues impacting wildland firefighter safety, health, and recognition.
The Federal Lobby Day brought together wildland firefighters from British Columbia and Members of Parliament to discuss long-standing concerns, including the misclassification of wildland firefighters in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, the need for preventative health screening, and the federal government’s role in wildfire response.
“Wildland firefighters are facing increasingly dangerous conditions as wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, yet federal systems still fail to properly recognize the work they do,” said BCGEU President Paul Finch. “Meeting directly with federal representatives is critical to ensuring the realities our members face on the fire line are understood and addressed. These workers deserve the same recognition, protections, and supports as other firefighters across the country.”
Wildland firefighters are currently classified under the “Silviculture and Forestry Workers” category in the NOC system. This designation fails to reflect the emergency management and natural disaster response scope of their work, overlooking the risks they face and their critical role in protecting public safety. It also fails to acknowledge wildland firefighters as first responders. During meetings on Parliament Hill, wildland firefighters urged the federal government to move wildland firefighters into existing firefighter classifications, which would improve professional and first responder recognition, data accuracy, and access to programs that support early occupational health screening for presumptive conditions.
Participants also called on the federal government to support the development of preventative occupational health screening for wildland firefighters, including early cancer detection and screening for other presumptive conditions linked to wildland firefighting work.
“Wildland firefighters put their health on the line to protect communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems,” Finch added. “Preventative health screening is a proactive step that could save lives, and the federal government has a clear role to play in making that happen.”
The lobby day was organized with the support of West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler, who met with wildland firefighters and helped facilitate discussions with federal officials.
“Wildland firefighters are at the front line protecting communities across British Columbia and Canada from a growing threat,” said MP Patrick Weiler. “I’m committed to creating space for these workers to share their experiences directly with federal decision-makers. Their expertise is invaluable, and their voices must be part of shaping federal policy on wildfire response and wildland firefighter health and safety.”
As wildfire activity continues to escalate nationwide, wildland firefighters are also calling for deeper engagement between the federal government, labour representatives, and jurisdictional wildfire agencies to clarify and strengthen the federal role in wildfire response.
The BCGEU represents more than 2,300 wildland firefighters employed by the B.C. Wildfire Service. The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, representing more than 95,000 workers across nearly every community and economic sector in the province.
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