The union representing Oshawa’s fire fighters has taken their concerns with the lack of cooperation from Oshawa Fire Services around the creation of an updated risk assessment for the city directly to councillors.
Peter Dyson, the president of the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA), appeared before the Community Services Committee on March 29 to share his concerns around the behaviour of Oshawa Fire Services.
Following a fatal fire in January that led to the deaths of four people, Dyson says it was a “tipping point” for the union, who had been warning Oshawa Fire Services about potential resource issues in the downtown area for up to two years.
Since that tragic fire, the union has released a report that highlighted potential issues in the downtown where residents have a higher vulnerability to being killed in a fire based on the age of the buildings and the high number of vulnerable populations in the area.
Currently, the union is in the process of gathering further information to create a city-wide risk assessment, to be completed by the Interational Fire Fighters Association, that would provide an overall look at the City of Oshawa and how well its fire service resources are distributed. A similar report was recently completed in St. Catherines.
However, from the start, the union has encountered issues obtaining information from Oshawa Fire Services, and has been required to file Freedom of Information requests to obtain call and response data.
“It’s concerning to us that we are receiving no help from the fire department,” Dyson says, noting that they’ve been rebuffed, and told they have “no right” to the information they’re requesting.
It’s something that Dyson says he has been unable to figure out as such a risk assessment would come at no cost to the city, and would be made publicly available, whatever the results showed.
“We want data-driven information, not opinions,” he said. “What we’re producing is not a document that binds or ties anyone’s hands…I’m dumbfounded why the city, the fire chief and everybody wouldn’t want this type of information.”
Dyson also raised questions about a number of items in the Oshawa Fire Master Plan, now at its halfway point, that have yet to be implemented.
As previously reported by The Oshawa Express, a number of items listed in the FMP have yet to be completed, including the hiring of an additional fire inspector.
“It begs the question, why not, and where’s the update?” Dyson asked.
According to Oshawa Fire Services and information released by the city, a review of the FMP is currently being undertaken by Fire Chief Derrick Clark. Ron Diskey, the city’s commissioner of community services, says the aim is to have that completed ahead of summer recess.
At the same time, Dyson also attempted to extend an olive branch to councillors.
“I want to assure you unequivocally that I’m not here to politicize or take advantage of any tragic situation in Oshawa,” he said. “We want to be a partner in the group of stakeholders.”
It was a branch that Councillor Amy McQuaid-England attempted to grab, but did not receive much support from her fellow councillors.
“We’ve had clear indications that they’re willing to work with us,” she said, noting that the apparent “wall that’s been put up” is the city attempting to hide behind the fact that dealing with the union is a labour relations matter, whereas these things are discussed openly in other municipalities.
A motion brought forward by Councillor John Neal requested that any such report completed by the IAFF should be brought back to the community services committee. As part of that motion, Councillor McQuaid-England attempted to have staff commit to partnering with the union on the report. As a visiting councillor on the committee she was unable to make the motion herself.
“I really urge that this committee change that motion to ensure there is a partnership,” she said.
However, none of her fellow councillors took her up on the request.
Link to original article in The Oshawa Express: No help: Fire fighters union takes issues with Oshawa Fire Services directly to councillors