Decals on City of Calgary vehicles to honour 1st responders for a year

The city has received the first batch of 5,000 decals for city vehicles to honour first responders over the next year.

"Decals will be placed on every city vehicle," said Coun. Shane Keating. "And then if a driver, specifically while they're using that vehicle, is not overly in favour of it being on they have the right to take it off as long as they don't discard it because then the next driver can put it right back on."

Keating believes the decals are timely in light of the shootings on Parliament Hill and the death of a soldier in Quebec.

The stickers will only be implemented for a year, according to a city policy, but could be extended.

Keating hopes the decal program spreads across the country, and he would also like to know whether the public wants to buy the decals.

"We've started the trust fund. We'll have people, like the Kinsmen, going across and saying, 'What should we do with it if there is any funds. Are you interested in putting it on your vehicles,'" said Keating. "I mean we have a number of corporations that have city vehicles all over the city of Calgary."

Keating says any profits would then go to the four groups: firefighters, EMS, military and police.