By Michael Robinson
Seven instructors who taught in Algonquin’s Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training program have not returned to the college to teach this year as a result of a dispute with the program and its coordinator.
The seven men collectively resigned a week-and-a-half before classes began, citing the direction of the program, student health and safety concerns, and the college’s lack of commitment to making the program competitive in comparison to other educational facilities as the reasons behind their decision.
A copy of the resignation letter sent to the Times on Sept. 10 identifies five part-time instructors and two on-call instructors, all career firefighters. The signatories are identified as Kevin Rockliffe, J.F. Caron, Tuck Davies, Tony Wu, Shawn Dandy, Brad Bignucolo and Cliff Smith.
The resignations were revealed to the Times through a source familiar with the matter who wished to remain anonymous.
However, the mass exodus was brought into question by acting chair of the Police and Public Safety Institute, Brian Duffy.
“No one walked off the job,” Duffy said. “There were no letters of resignation to hand in,” because part-time instructors are not permanent faculty.
In a private email sent to the seven instructors dated Sept. 1, however, Duffy did acknowledge the group’s resignation by writing: “Please consider this email as notification of receipt of your resignation as part time faculty in the Pre-service Firefighter program at Algonquin College. Thank you for your past service with the program.
“I wish you well in your future endeavors.”
When asked why Duffy would address the group’s resignation if they had nothing to resign from, his response was “because that is the right thing to do.”
Police and Public Safety Institute Dean Barbara Foulds also denied any resignations had occurred when first asked about the matter on Sept. 10, and referred all questions to Duffy.
Foulds acknowledged a day later, however, she had been made aware that a resignation had taken place when shown an email she received from the group of instructors on Aug. 28.
“I don’t know how you obtained those,” she said. “But I get hundreds of emails.”
Foulds defended the program and its reputation.
“I’d like to reiterate this is a strong program that is going through some changes.”
When asked if it was concerning that seven faculty members left all at the same time, her response was that it was not, because “faculty changes all of the time.”
Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training program coordinator Mario D’Angelo said there was no agitation with the employees in question and would not speculate on why they resigned.
“I had a great working relationship with these men that I take great pride in,” he said.
But at least one of his former students doesn’t agree.
“As soon as Chief D’Angelo took over, you could feel the tension between him and the other instructors,” said Kevin Courschesne, a May 2014 graduate of the fire program.
Today, there are now six instructors per 62 students enrolled in the program according to Brett Simms and Josh Stanley, two first-year students studying in the program. There used to be 64.
The departures have also affected the program’s numbers. At least two students de-registered from the program upon discovering the seven instructors had departed, the Times learned.
“I pulled out of the program partially because I heard about the instructors leaving the program and that they were getting new instructors in who don’t have hands-on experience,” said one student who didn’t wish to provide his name. “I was wary of how I was going to get my full money’s worth.
“I wasn’t feeling confident in the program anymore so my friend and I both left.”
The pre-service firefighting education and training program is among the most expensive at Algonquin, costing nearly $15,000 for three terms of study. It runs annually from September to June each year.
“My concern is that, is the college taking money from students and not making them eligible to be hired?” asked one of the former seven instructors, referring to the multiple reasons the group left.
“The facilities are completely lacking and have been forever. We were doing hose exercises in the hallways, hoisting equipment in common stairwells where we have to stop our exercises because students are walking through them going to classes.”
“It is absolutely ridiculous for what students have to deal with. And there are no plans in place to make these problems go away,” said another, who asked to withhold the publication of his identity.
One of the most significant health and safety concerns, allege the instructors, was the hoisting of chainsaws filled with gasoline in P-building’s stairwells.
Jesse Bernard, a May 2014 graduate of the program, confirmed the practice occurred while students from other programs used the staircase, halting the exercise from taking place.
“Ideally, we would have hoisted equipment up to a roof,” he said. “But at Algonquin, we had no option but to hoist chainsaws filled with gasoline up the staircase.”
Sam Hebert, who also graduated from the pre-service program in May 2014, confirmed fire hoses were ‘doughnut-rolled’ in the hallways as well.
“Yes, students were rolling up hoses in the hallways,” he said. “That is how we put them away.”
“Any time we tried to have input and tried to give suggestions, it really wasn’t taken into consideration,” said Tuck Davies, one of the part-time instructors.
Duffy referred to the hose hazard as “a very small thing.” The former instructors, on the other hand, argue it is a health and safety risk for other students in the hallway passing through.
“The hoses were smashing into lockers and I had Ottawa police foundations instructors complaining to me,” said one former senior instructor.
“The college was presented these issues at the advisory committee meetings numerous times,” said J.F. Caron.
The former instructors also said the facilities were lacking overall in what was expected in a firefighter program, especially in comparison to a La Cité Collégiale facility (with whom Algonquin shares a training partnership).
“I would only prove to be a hypocrite if I continued to teach at Algonquin when I now find myself encouraging people to explore other colleges and training facilities to see what they offer,” said Kevin Rockliffe, former part-time instructor.
Equipment was also allegedly not ready for exercises and lesson plans were not consistent in between fire labs said another.
When briefed on these concerns in a Sept. 15 meeting, Duffy and D’Angelo said they were not aware of the equipment hoisting taking place and would investigate by examining the program’s protocol.
Another concern of the disgruntled former instructors is the lack of career firefighting experience on the part of the co-ordinator D’Angelo.
“He’s a good person but not the right man for the job,” said one instructor, referring to D’Angelo’s background in the paramedic service. D’Angelo did not respond when told of the claim. His curriculum vitae, found on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website in the U.S., indicates he has over 12 years of experience as a supervisor at the Ottawa Central Ambulance Communications Centre and eight years of volunteer firefighting experience.
But overall, it appears that even students are aware of the the program’s standards.
“I was shocked and wasn’t at the same time when I found out (those) seven instructors left,” said Hebert.
“There was talk among the instructors at the end of last academic year and more so into the third semester (May 2014) that they weren’t happy with the situation.”
Hebert believes the instructor’s concerns are valid due to their past experience with the program since many had been veteran teachers at the college for quite some time.
“I am really worried about the future of the program,” he said.