Following a highly critical audit in the summer that revealed risks to firefighters' safety during training programs, the province is taking steps to establish its own training initiative in the coming months. Kim Masland, the Minister of Emergency Management, announced on The Todd Veinotte Show that after severing ties with the Nova Scotia Firefighters School in August, the government is working on an interim training program for firefighters.
Masland emphasized the need for a reliable training environment, stating, “We’re putting together an interim training program for firefighters, while we’ll continue to work on a long-term comprehensive training model. And we want to make sure that our firefighters, who are putting their lives on the line to protect others every day, they deserve certainly a safe environment for training.” She noted that the program is not yet operational but aims to be ready by the end of this fall.
This move follows a thorough audit that raised serious concerns about the Nova Scotia Firefighters School, a non-profit organization, highlighting failures in ensuring student safety and providing adequate training for firefighters to start their careers. The audit involved more than 680 firefighters from across Nova Scotia, 52 fire service leaders, and eight board members. The report, released on August 5, was initiated due to significant backlash after a tragic incident in which 28-year-old firefighter Skyler Blackie was critically injured in 2019 and later died due to an explosion of a fire extinguisher during an exercise.
Currently, firefighters can receive training within their individual fire departments across the province, with many offering regional training options. Once the new program is operational, Masland mentioned the goal is to establish a regional hub to minimize travel for firefighters seeking training. To facilitate this new initiative, the province has formed a committee, which includes Mark Bettens, Chief Director of the Cape Breton Regional Fire Service, and Paul Maynard, Director of Client Services with the province.
Masland asserted that the province has been proactive since the audit, stating, “Our value for our debt money was done in August, and we haven’t wasted any time on this at all. We absolutely know, and we are committed to our firefighters out there to ensure they have a safe place to train. They deserve that.” However, she did not disclose any financial details regarding the training program.
