(L-R) Nanaimo Fire Rescue members Riel Gibson, Phil Lewis and Micah Chesner meet up just prior to a news conference outside Nanaimo Fire Rescue Station No. 1 on Wednesday, June 28. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

EXTRA PROTECTION

Private members bill aims to increase penalties for attacks against first responders

Jun 28, 2023 | 3:11 PM

NANAIMO — Members of the federal NDP are raising the profile of a bill crafted to increase punishments for physical attacks against firefighters, paramedics and other first responders.

Introduced by Lower Mainland MP Peter Julian last week and seconded by his Nanaimo-Ladysmith colleague Lisa Marie Barron, the bill was the focus of a news conference outside Nanaimo Fire Rescue Station No. 1 on Wednesday, June 28.

“First responders deserve the reassurance that their health and safety is taken seriously and that when their health and safety is threatened the criminal justice system will respond accordingly,” Barron said.

She pointed out Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) members were among those pushing for stronger legal repercussions for those who put the safety of emergency responders in jeopardy.

Specifically, the bill would create a separate offence designation when emergency responders are assaulted, which mirrors protections afforded to peace officers in Canada.

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The bill requests those guilty of aggravated assault against an emergency responder face a maximum of 20 years in prison from the current 14 years.

NFR deputy chief Geoff Whiting said firefighters have a dangerous job and additional protections included in the bill would make a difference.

“First responders accept a certain level of risk to serve their community, but they should not have to face a threat of being attacked or assaulted while doing the job of helping others,” Whiting said.

While he didn’t have data immediately available, Whiting said cases of physical and verbal aggression against their members have increased in recent years.

Whiting added de-escalation training done last year for their members was done in response to increasing numbers of volatile people they come across.

“We want people to avoid those situations, recognize them, recognize when people are acting violently…we don’t want people to be in those dangerous situations,” Whiting told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Nanaimo Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron was joined by local emergency responders, mayor Leonard Krog and others for a news conference to discuss a proposed private members bill. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the added protections in the bill are necessary to better protect our emergency responders and the public at large.

“When you assault one of these folks behind me in the course of them exercising their duty, you are assaulting the community, you are assaulting the very state that guarantees protection of rights and freedoms; and that’s the difference, that’s what this bill is saying,” Krog said.

Editors note: Bill C-345 also proposes to automatically classify a murder of active duty first responder as murder in the first degree, which is on par with peace officers, as per section 231(4) of the Criminal Code of Canada. NanaimoNewsNOW originally stated the proposal was not included as a formal amendment in the bill.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes