Classes are on hold at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School after it failed to implement 22 safety changes from the Department of Labour.
In an email, the province said they ordered the Waverley school to make the changes in July, and when they didn’t, the government ordered the school stop all high-risk training on Friday.
“We will continue to work with the school, and its Board of firefighting professionals, to bring the Nova Scotia Firefighters School into compliance using regulatory measures and oversight,” the department wrote in an email.
In a social media post, the school said they’re going to work on their safety paperwork, one of the recommendations of a third-party audit requested by the school.
School failing to meet their own standards
The school said the firefighting practices outlined by the National Fire Protection Association and the International Fire Service Training Association “don’t translate into the level of comprehensive paperwork that needs to be in place.”
“Unfortunately for students of our ongoing classes, this means that, in accordance with OHS [Occupational Health and Safety] and the Department of Labour, we will be putting our classes on hold until new forms can be created and policies adjusted to reflect those changes.”
The Office of the Fire Marshall, a division of the Municipal Affairs Department, oversees policies and regulations for fire safety in the province.
Department spokesperson Chrissy Matheson said in an email that the firefighters school operates under the national standard, which is the “best practice across the country.”
“How the [Nova Scotia Firefighters School] is implementing the national standards, and their safety practices around them has caused concern and is part of the current [Occupational Health and Safety] investigation and Stop Work Order,” the email said.
“The standards themselves are not problematic.”
Any changes that could come will be suggested as part of the ongoing Occupational Health and Safety investigation, said Matheson.
The school is the only in the province that provides Level 1 certifications to firefighters.
But the Labour Department said there are no requirements for firefighters to complete entry-level training in the province, and there are a variety of ways they can get that training, including through fire departments. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces can even learn through the military.
The department wouldn’t say more about whether a different school could be formed or if another firefighter school could offer the Level 1 certification.
“We will continue to work across government and with firefighters to ensure training is delivered safely regardless of where it is offered.
Investigation reveals safety concerns
A third-party investigation, which the province requested last year, found that the school had 41 safety infractions, 22 of which were considered high risk, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It’s unclear if the third-party audit mentioned in the school’s social media post is the same investigation.
Those infractions were revealed in an online petition from the family of Skyler Blackie, a firefighter who died after a fire extinguisher blew up in his face at the training facility.
The petition called for the government to create legislation that would improve safety at the school.
As of Monday, it had more than 2100 signatures, with a goal of 2500.
In a social media post, Truro fire chief Blois Currie called on other leaders in fire service to stop sending firefighters to the school. The Atlantic Provinces Professional Fire Fighters Association, along with the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association union voiced their support for Blackie’s family and for better safety conditions.
Jessica Gillis, Blackie’s sister, previously told our newsroom that the school should not have needed an investigation to prompt changes to how they operate.
“If I knew I had people’s lives in my hands, those people who were then turning around and going out and saving our communities, you best believe that safety would be the top priority.”
