Firefighting — Society fire brigades
On this page:
- Overview
- Summary
- How your contributions make a difference
- Learn more
This consultation closed December 12, 2025.
Overview
- What: Amend the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to align definitions and clarify coverage for firefighting roles
- Who: Firefighters, fire brigades, volunteer firefighters and their societies
- Why: To ensure clarity and confirm obligations
- How: Click on our feedback button to provide feedback on the proposed amendments
- Key topics: Firefighting, volunteer, societies
Summary
The changes to Part 31 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation will make the requirements match the definitions in the Workers Compensation Act. This means the term “firefighter” will follow the Act’s definition, and the requirements will clearly apply to volunteer firefighters and fire brigades run by societies. The old definition of “firefighter” in Part 31 will be removed, and the definition of “fire department” will be updated to include societies.
A new term, “fire personnel,” will be added to cover workers who do fire-related jobs that are not part of the Act’s definition of firefighter. This includes tasks like inspections, maintenance, and training, as well as people who fight fires but mainly do other work. These changes make sure everyone who does fire-related work, paid or volunteer, is covered by the safety requirements. The section saying the requirements do not apply to forest firefighting will stay the same, and extra wording will be removed to make the requirements clearer.
How you can share your feedback
Thank you for providing your feedback. This consultation closed on December 12, 2025.
How your contributions make a difference
Your input helped us understand the implications of the proposed amendments, assisted in the regulatory process, and will increase safety in workplaces across British Columbia.
Learn more
