Relatives call for inquest into firefighter training deaths
The Canadian Press | Posted: March 12, 2015 2:54 PM | Last Updated: March 12, 2015
Relatives of two Ontario men who died in separate firefighter training exercises offered by a private company say they want coroner's inquests into the deaths to ensure the tragedies aren't repeated.
Gary Kendall, a volunteer firefighter, died in an ice-rescue exercise near Sarnia, Ont., in 2010, while a similar incident claimed the life of firefighting student Adam Brunt last month in Hanover, Ont.
Brunt's father, Al Brunt, says it's important to find out exactly what went wrong to prevent it from ever happening again.
- Firefighting student dies during training in Hanover
- Ontario firefighter dies in mock rescue
- Training death shocks family of firefighter
- Private safety training companies that teach firefighters aren't regulated
"I was devastated. It's that, that one thing you always fear as a parent," Brunt said.
He joined Oshawa MPP Jennifer French at Queen's Park to push for the province to regulate private sector companies that provide specialized safety courses to firefighters and other first responders.
"What we would hope is that the families and Ontarians see action so that we're not here again in five years having the same conversation," French said.
Members of the Kendall family were also present but a friend, Wes Mazur, spoke on their behalf.
"Gary essentially did not have the ability to climb back up on to the shore while the ice was moving behind him," said Mazur.
The courses aren't mandatory and the companies aren't required to follow best practices established for firefighters.
Toronto Fire Services recruit Shantelle Malawski told CBC News she took the same sort of course as Brunt.
"After I graduated I realized that's just the tip of the iceberg of what you can learn on the fire service," Malawski said.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities said Wednesday it would look into regulating the private safety training industry in the wake of the fatal incidents.
The ministry says it will review the Private Career Colleges Act, which regulates vocational training, and will come up with a list of recommendations by the fall.
Al Brunt says he's encouraged by the announcement and hopes it leads to concrete changes.