Volunteer firefighters provide an essential service to rural communities and they now have access to improved benefits.
The Government of Saskatchewan announced on Thursday that the province’s 6,500 volunteer firefighters will now have easier access to Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits.
This means that volunteer firefighters will be able to access similar coverage as professional firefighters.
Expanded presumptive coverage was first introduced for professional firefighters through an amendment to the legislation introduced this past December. This included six additional cancers – prostate, skin, breast, cervical and ovarian cancer, as well as multiple myeloma.
“We thank firefighters for the work they do every day to keep us safe,” Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said in a press release. “We are extending presumptive coverage to volunteer firefighters to make it easier for them to access the supports they need.”
These changes, as part of Bill 165, the Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act, will come into force on proclamation.
To apply for Workers’ Compensation, applicants will need to provide a diagnosis and other required information from a medical professional to support their claim.
