In the wake of the report on the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix, the official opposition in Montreal is calling for an independent investigation to shed light on the working climate at the Montreal Fire Department (SIM).
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On Thursday, the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) made public these conclusions on the death of Mr. Lacroix, who lost his life in October 2021 during an operation nautical rescue.
His report indicates that the firefighters had insufficient training, and that the type of craft used had a limited capacity.
A Radio-Canada investigation, however, revealed that the SIM boats had several documented problems, and that its boats tended to capsize. A situation that has not been resolved, despite several alarm signals.
“While it is essential that light be shed on the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix, it is also important to shed light on the internal management of denunciations and the follow-up of the recommendations of the reports intended for the SIM”, explained Abdelhaq Sari, door- the opposition’s word on public safety.
He believes that it is essential that the investigation be carried out independently in order to shed full light on the situation.
The opposition is also asking that preventive signs be put up along the banks to inform Montrealers that the rapids include a zone prohibited to navigation.
“If an accident occurs, it can be very difficult to be rescued because of this exclusion zone. The issue right now is that people who venture into this sector do so at their own risk and peril without knowing it,” Mr. Sari lamented.
The party will table a motion to assert these two demands at the next city council meeting on October 24.
For his part, Alain Vaillancourt, head of public security on the City’s executive committee, said he was concerned about the situation.
“The allegations raised in the investigative media report are concerning, we are confident that the CNESST investigation, our internal investigation combined with the Coroner’s public inquiry will help us to shed light on this matter”, a- he said, in a written statement.