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Liberals promise support for first responders

Ottawa - Justin Trudeau is backing up his latest star recruit – newly retired Toronto police chief Bill Blair – with promises that a Liberal government would beef up support for first responders.

The Liberal leader says he'd create a public safety officer compensation benefit of $300,000 to support the families of firefighters, paramedics or police officers killed or permanently injured in the line of duty.

He says he'd also reinstate federal funding for four heavy urban search and rescue teams, which was cut by the Harper government.

And he'd create a national action plan on post-traumatic stress disorder.

Trudeau is making the promises in a speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

He's accompanied by Blair, who announced Sunday – less than 24 hours after retiring as Toronto police chief – his intention to seek the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest.

April 27, 2015 
By The Canadian Press