History of Fire Fighter Unions in BC

History of Fire Fighter Unions in BC

A decade after the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) was formed in 1918, the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (BCPFFA) was organized as a provincial affiliate in 1924. At that time, four affiliates were part of the BCPFFA;

1. Vancouver L18 (1918);

2. Victoria L258 (1923), L730 (1942);

3. New Westminster Local 256 (1923),

4. North Vancouver City L296 (1929)

The BC Professional Fire Fighters Association (BCPFFA) and is now comprised of 8 regions overseeing 56 locals who represent over 5,000 professional men and women fire fighters, dispatchers, prevention officers and support members in BC, including the Yukon.

An additional source for this document is the extensive documentation provided by Alex Matches, now retired from the Vancouver Fire Rescue Service. Alex has written three books on the Department and has continued to provide advice for this document as it relates to the union activities; he has also graciously allowed me to quote extensively from his work. There are also a considerable number of individuals who have provided background, recollections, research, editing and writing. This includes Gord Ditchburn, Rob Weeks and Craig Lanthier, retired union officers including Terry Erskine, Lorne West, Ed Pakos and Terry Ritchie as well as Linda Kennedy from Local 18 and Mary Mitchell who has provided a great deal of research from various university archives and online media sources. BC Locals have also provided updates in terms of their local history and their serving officers.

Over the last century, firefighter unions in British Columbia have achieved significant milestones in labor rights, health and safety legislation, and community service.

Foundational and Legislative Victories

• International First: On February 28, 1918, Vancouver Local 18 became the first and only Canadian member of the IAFF at the time of its founding, setting the stage for professional unionization across the country.

• Working Hour Reductions: Through persistent lobbying, firefighters secured the Two-Platoon Act in 1923, which was later amended in 1936 to establish a five-day or 60-hour work week. Further reductions followed, with the work week dropping to 48 hours in 1946 and finally to 42 hours by 1964.

• Binding Arbitration: In 1995, the BCPFFA successfully campaigned for the passage of Bill 35, the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act, which restored the vital right to binding interest arbitration.

• Pension Advancements: A landmark "Special Agreement" was arbitrated in 1950, establishing the principle that firefighters deserve preferential pension treatment due to the physical nature of their work and early retirement requirements. This evolved into the Group 5 pension transition in 2010, which improved accrual rates and allowed for full pensions before age 60.

Health, Safety, and Cancer Presumption

• 2026 - April - Bill M214, the Firefighters’ Health Act, passed unanimously at third reading in the BC Legislature. Key provisions: 1) Mandatory health screening plan: Minister of Health must table a comprehensive cancer and mental health screening plan within 12 months; 2) Workers’ Compensation review: Formal review of section 140 of the Workers’ Compensation Act to examine occupational disease presumptions; 3) Wildfire health equity: A five-season (60-month) service threshold for wildfire crew screening eligibility; 4) Accountability: Plan to be reviewed every five years to stay current with medical science. Read more…

• Presumptive Coverage Pioneer: After winning landmark WCB cases for members with cancer in 1993, the BCPFFA led the way for the 2005 passage of legislation granting presumptive coverage for eight primary cancer sites. The first reading of the Worker's Compensation Amendment Act, that recognized 8 cancers as occupational diseases for fire fighters {Brain, Bladder, Colorectal, Kidney, Ureter, Primary non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and primary Leukaemia, Testicular}.

• Expanded Protections: Coverage has since expanded to include.

  • 2008 Lung cancer; 2011 Esophageal cancer; 2014 Heart Disease; 2017 Breast, Prostate, Myeloma; 2018 Occupational Stress Injuries; '

  • 2022, Yukon, Whitehorse became the first Canadian local to achieve presumption for pancreatic cancer.

  • 2022 - 5 cancers added: Cervical, Ovarian, Penile, Pancreatic, Thyroid and reductions in accumulative periods in Testicular, Colorectal, Esophageal. Read more…

  • 2026 - 8 cancers added Tracheal, Bronchial, Laryngeal, Nose, Pharyngeal, Skin,  Mesothelioma, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Amended the Esophageal cancer cumulative service-year requirement from 20 to 15 years. Read more…

• View Regulation here: Fire Fighters Occupational Disease Regulation and First responders post-traumatic stress disorder presumption

• 2024 - On March 4th - the Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions announced $300,000 in funding for an Occupational Awareness Training backed by the BCPFFA in collaboration with the BC Municipal Safety Association, Fire Chief’s Association of BC, Volunteer Association of BC, BC Training Fire Officer Association, and added BC Wildfire Service to the program. Read more…

• Safety Initiatives: The BCPFFA was instrumental in advocating for the installation of diesel exhaust control systems in fire halls in the late 1980s and early 1990s to reduce carcinogen exposure.

Community Impact and the Burn Fund

Government Affairs and Leadership

• Defeating Disaffiliation: In the early 1990s, BC locals led a successful campaign to prevent the forced disaffiliation of the IAFF from the Canadian Labour Congress, guaranteeing the union's continued legitimacy in Canada.

• Direct Political Representation: Firefighters have transitioned into significant roles in governance, notably with the election of former BCPFFA President Bill Copeland as Mayor of Burnaby, followed later by Mike Hurley in 2018. In 2020, Mike Starchuk became the first firefighter elected as an MLA to the BC Legislature.

• Scope of Practice: In 2021, the association successfully lobbied for an expanded scope of practice, allowing firefighters to provide enhanced pre-hospital medical care to the public.