Firefighters’ union boss apologizes for COVID-19 comments
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/04/2020 (2013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The head of Winnipeg’s firefighters’ union has issued a public apology for his previous call to let firefighters and paramedics operate in “silos” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex Forrest, president of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, posted an apology on Facebook Thursday. The statement refers to a March 23 letter Forrest sent to Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) Chief John Lane and Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen, which was also posted on Facebook and Twitter.
In that letter, Forrest called for WFPS to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure by reallocating some fire-paramedic stations to serve only fire-rescue emergencies and restricting others to focus on non-virus-related emergency medical service.
He also said ambulances that transport patients with flu-like or coronavirus symptoms should be moved out of fire-paramedic stations and placed at assessment centres or medical facilities instead.
Forrest’s Thursday statement expressed regret for those comments.
“On reflection, I realize the letter may have given the wrong message,” it states. “I regret this and apologize for any misunderstanding. To be clear, my statement did not call for an all-out separation of our integrated services, but rather to give consideration to practices that might minimize unnecessary exposures,” wrote Forrest.
The union leader was expected to attend a disciplinary hearing over the same letter, according to a notice previously obtained by the Free Press. He declined to answer whether that hearing has occurred or provide other comments on the matter on Thursday.
The notice said the hearing would deal with allegations that Forrest violated a city/union agreement relating to respectful workplace rules through his March 23 letter.
The WFPS has consistently stressed that procedures are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including patient screening and ambulance disinfection.
Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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