The Nova Scotia Firefighters School said they’re aware of the safety infractions revealed by an online petition calling for legislative change to improve safety at the institution.
But the school said they need money to make those changes.
“We wholeheartedly support changes to legislation that would enhance the safety of all firefighters in Nova Scotia. It’s important to note that implementing these necessary changes requires significant funding and support from all levels of government,” the school wrote in a social media post.
An online petition, which had more than 1600 signatures on Tuesday, revealed that a third-party investigation found the fire school had 41 safety infractions under the Occupational Health and Safety act, 22 of which are high risk.
The petition was created by the family of Skyler Blackie, a firefighter who died in 2019 after a fire extinguisher exploded during a training exercise.
Jessica Gillis, Blackie’s sister, previously told our newsroom that the school needs to do more.
“Our family has decided that enough is enough, that the school has not taken accountability. They have not shown any progress to change to make the facility safer.”
The school is “fully aware” of the family’s concerns and has been “implementing changes” to the school’s safety policies and how they operate, it said.
“However, we recognize that there is still more work to be done, and we are firmly committed to continuing these improvements,” the school wrote.
The school said several reports have recommended changes to the government since the school opened in 1967, but those reports didn’t result in any improvements, the school said. It’s unclear what those reports suggested to the government.
The Nova Scotia Firefighters School is a non-profit organization.
However, the government provides a $190,000 grant to the school each year, according to an email from the Labour Department.
Truro fire chief Blois Currie recently called on other leaders in the fire service to stop sending students to the school until it’s more safe. He hasn’t sent anyone to the school in five years, since Blackie died, he previously told our newsroom.
In their social media statement, the fire school said the whole fire service in the province would have to work together to make a safer environment at the school.
“We understand the concerns raised by the Blackie family and others in our community. Please be assured that we are committed to addressing these issues and working tirelessly to ensure the safety of all firefighters under our care,” the school wrote online.
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