The Ontario Ministry of Labour has issued 6 safety orders to the Windsor Fire Department because of some problems at fire station number 7 on Lauzon Road. The issues include the doors that separate the living quarters from the truck bay don't meet building code requirements, a leaky roof above electrical fixtures, ceiling tiles in the boiler room requiring repair, no effective exhaust system to capture diesel fumes from trucks leaving the fire hall and there isn't a washroom for females.
Now, I'm no building/air quality/contracting specialist, but these sound pretty serious to me. (I can certainly relate to the lack of washroom facilites).
City Councillor Ron Jones (a retired District Fire Chief) is up in arms that someone within the ranks made a complaint to the Labour Ministry. He says they used bad judgement and did a disservice to fire administration (yet he acknowledged the problems). Jones claims because they're in the process of going to the table to have the fire station replaced, the person should have kept their mouth shut. WHAT?!!
Talk about closing in the ranks. No wonder there's so much secrecy at city hall. 'Let them ask, but don't tell' seems to be the motto. I say Bravo! to the person who had the guts to make the complaint. I'm sure they knew of the possible consequences should they be identified. I find it hard to believe nobody in administration within the fire department knew of these problems and if they did, why weren't they dealt with?
Shame on you, Ron Jones, for putting a "possible" new fire station ahead of the current safety, welfare and well-being of our firefighters.
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3 comments:
Ron Jones had absolutely no right to publicly denounce the situation.
Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy workplace and the employer has the obligation to make sure there is a functional and safe workplace. Mr. Jones, by his own admission knows the delapidated situation and city council never took ownership of the problems. There is legislation that workers can use without putting themselves up for an "audit" by supervisors. The shame should be leveled right at the city for knowing these condistions exist and letting the fireman use substandard working conditions. Above all else these people put thier lives and safety on the line every time they leave the station. Recent history is a testament to the dangers they face daily.
Mr. Jones should be forced to apologize for his harse criticism leveled at the ones we need the most.
It's too bad all the citys' money has been spent on an arena. There's nothing left to repair even the most common items without an act of legislation.
I wonder how much could have been repaired if the money from the canal pictures was diverted?(insert pun here)
Well said. It really irks me when the whistleblower is chastised. In the paper today, the Fire Chief said he knew about the conditions at the fire hall.
Ron Jones is a retired District Chief from this department. One wonders what kind of a leader he must have been when we find that he freely dismisses valid health and safety concerns from those that he would have led! Perhaps
Mr. Jones should move his councillor office into this building where he can work under a leaky roof and worry about getting electrocuted when the water runs into an outlet. Or maybe he doesn't mind the cancer causing deisel fumes pouring into his room.
I find it hard to believe that here, in the year 2008, we have a city owned and city managed building that does not have a womans' washrooom. This situation may have been acceptable during Jone's tenure but it won't fly today. I suspect that the illustrious councillor may be out of touch with todays reality.
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