The Halifax firefighters’ union is disappointed that the head of the Nova Scotia Firefighters School won’t step down.
Several local firefighters’ unions renewed their calls for John Cunningham, the leader of the school, to step down at the school’s annual general meeting over the weekend.
In an emailed statement, Cunningham said he has no plans to leave the position.
Joe Triff, vice president of the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters union, said he wished for a different result.
“We were hoping that he would do the right thing, and if not, the board would do the ring thing, and we’ve seen an unwillingness for that to happen,” said Triff.
“We’re not going anywhere. Our association has been around for 100 years representing professional firefighters, and this is one of those issues that we just can’t let go.
But Cunningham’s reaction doesn’t come as a surprise, he said. Since Skyler Blackie was killed because of faulty equipment at the school in 2019, they have not demonstrated that safety is top of mind, he said. Blackie’s family also attended the meeting to call on the Cunningham to resign.
The Halifax firefighters’ union, along with several local branches of the International Association of Fire Fighters, first called for Cunningham to step down in early September.
In October, the Lunenberg Regional Fire and Emergency Services (LRFES) joined the call as well. They represent 26 local departments in the Municipality of the District of Lunenberg and the town of Lunenberg, as well as Bridgewater and Mahone Bay.
“This request is not made out of lack of appreciation for the past contributions but from a shared belief that a new direction is required to strengthen the school and ensure its long-term success,” wrote Chris Dares, president of the LRFES, in an October news release.
The Halifax union has been advocating for changes across the board. In a previous story, Triff told our newsroom that they hope the province would take over the fire school and make it part of the Nova Scotia Community College, similar to how the program at the New Brunswick Community College.
Triff said the provincial government is listening to their concerns, and the union will meet with officials later this month.
“We’re hopeful that the continued dialog with the government will bear some fruit, and we can make some real positive change here, going forward, for everybody.”
