Scott Atkinson

A new $30 million province-wide fire grant is going to help Timmins firefighters stay protected from hazardous carcinogens when fighting wildland fires, their deputy chief says. Timmins will be receiving $49,382 from the province through the office of Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, who oversees the office of the fire marshal. Local Deputy Fire Chief Scott Atkinson told the Daily Press those funds will be used to purchase 156 wildland fire jumpsuits. “The cancer-preventative measure we’ve put forward for that would be coveralls for almost every firefighter in the city,” Atkinson said. The grant applies to municipal firefighters, but the Timmins Fire Department is often called upon to fight grass fires and other wildland fires within the Municipal Protection Area of the city. “We’re in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. They’re the experts on forest fires, but we often work together,” said Atkinson.