Unions demand reform and leadership overhaul of Nova Scotia Firefighters School

Halifax Professional Fire Fighters (HPFF) joined the Truro Professional Firefighters Association and the family of the late firefighter Skylar Blackie to demand accountability and a leadership overhaul at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School (NSFS) Annual General Meeting last weekend.

Over 60 per cent of the attendees were members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), highlighting the widespread support for change in the firefighting community.

The main call is for the resignation of Executive Director John Cunningham, who has been embroiled in controversy over safety concerns.

“The safety and well-being of firefighters must always be the priority at the NSFS. However, recent years have exposed glaring leadership failures that resulted in preventable tragedies and inadequate safety standards,” Joe Triff, vice president of HPFF, said in a press release. “While the school has reopened, we reiterated our position: there can be no trust in this institution until its leadership reflects accountability, transparency, and a true commitment to safety.”

A lack of attention to safety practices led to the death of Turo firefighter Skyler Blackie in 2019.

Blackie died in hospital 11 days after a fire extinguisher he was using exploded during a training exercise. The school pleaded guilty in his death and was fined $102,000 for failing to perform routine maintenance and inspections of its fire extinguishers. 

Despite the reported refusal of Cunningham to resign and his comments that the school has changed in the five years since Blackie’s death, the two unions claim leadership has repeatedly failed to implement the necessary proactive reforms, instead of only taking action when compelled by external pressures like stop-work orders.

A recent audit revealed over 40 safety violations at the NSFS, 22 of which were deemed high-risk.

“This reactive approach to safety is unacceptable,” Triff said in a release. “A leadership overhaul is essential for the NSFS to provide safe training for Nova Scotia’s fire fighters. We remain committed to advocating for these reforms and strengthening our relationship with the provincial government to ensure fire fighters have access to safe training.”