Volunteer firefighters are now seeing financial rewards for their selfless contributions to the community.


A new tax credit is available to those who dedicate over 200 hours of service a year to their communities.

"We can't thank these folks enough for how hard they work and how they make us all feel safe," expresses Ted Menzies, the Minister of State for Finance and Macleod MP. "We've experienced several fires in Southern Alberta in just this winter alone. I know some of these guys were down helping out at the Nanton fire, and there was a big one at Fort Macleod and another big one east of Medicine Hat."

Courtesy of the MD of Foothills, there is a new Heritage Pointe Fire Station in the works. "We'll be hiring four full time fire fighters, and there will be three shifts, so 12 full time firefighters. And of course there will be many of the casuals and volunteers that will come into play as well," says Reeve Larry Spilak. "I'm confident that this tax assessment that was passed in Parliament will assist us in getting more volunteers on board which is something that we need."

The new fire station is scheduled to be finished in May and they are preparing to open in September.