TRURO, N.S. – The sister of a firefighter who died during a training exam at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School says the program needs an overhaul to improve safety standards.
Skyler Blackie died March 9, 2019, in hospital after a fire extinguisher he was using exploded during a training exercise at the school on the outskirts of Halifax.
His sister, Jessica Gillis, last week launched a petition calling for reform, after the province told the family an audit uncovered numerous safety infractions at the school.
She said in an interview today her family wants the province to integrate the training school — which currently operates as a non-profit body — into the college system, as occurs in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Gillis says there should be a provincial representative on the school’s governing board and legislation setting safety standards.
John Cunningham, the school’s executive director, says in a statement that the school takes the family’s concerns “very seriously” and that it has made changes to its operations to improve safety.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2024.
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