Volunteer firefighters in unincorporated communities across the Yukon will be compensated more for their volunteer service as of October 1, 2024.
The volunteer honorarium will be increased to $30.74 per hour, up from $22 per hour. Volunteer firefighters will receive honorarium for each hour responding to calls. In addition, the increased honorarium will be provided for each hour of fire service training.
Fire halls in unincorporated areas are supported by the Government of Yukon, with volunteer firefighters receiving an honorarium for their service. The honorarium increase is the first since 2009 and is subject to legislative approval.
Volunteer fire halls in unincorporated areas run thanks to the work of approximately 163 volunteers across the Yukon. In the first seven months of 2024, these volunteers logged more than 8,500 hours of training and incident response time and responded to approximately 123 calls.
Our government recognizes the important and vital service of volunteer firefighters working in communities across the Yukon. These dedicated firefighters spend long hours training and responding to incidents from house fires to motor vehicle collisions to urban-wildland interface fires. Everyday, volunteer firefighters go above to keep our communities safe and our government is excited to show our gratitude with this increased honorarium.
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Volunteer firefighters are trained primarily for structural firefighting (responding to buildings on fire, rather than wildfires). However, they are also trained to respond to motor vehicle collisions, wildland-urban interface fires and other incidents.
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Increasing remuneration for volunteer firefighters was a recommendation in the 2021 Review of the Yukon Fire Marshal's Office Fire Suppression and Rescue Resources Distribution and part of Minister Richard Mostyn’s Mandate Letter of 2021.
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This honorarium increase applies to volunteer firefighters serving in unincorporated communities in the following fire departments: Carcross, Golden Horn, Hootalinqua, Ibex Valley, Klondike Valley, Marsh Lake, Mt. Lorne, Tagish and Burwash Landing, and in the following Scene Safety Response Units: Destruction Bay, Keno, Old Crow, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, and Champagne.
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The Government of Yukon recognizes the important role of volunteer services in communities. This increase in honoraria for volunteer firefighters follows the Yukon government's increase earlier this year to honoraria for Emergency Medical Services community responders.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
John Tonin
Communications, Community Services
867-334-5816
[email protected]