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Rocco Frangione, Local Journalism Initiative
Armour Township Reeve Bob MacPhail believes closing the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst is a big mistake that will cost municipalities a lot more money to train their firefighters.
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The Ministry of the Solicitor General announced the college’s closure in mid January, planning to replace the facility with 20 regional training centres.
The college, which has trained many thousands of firefighters over the decades, is to close March 31.
Following last month’s announcement, the Township of Augusta, near Brockville, passed a resolution calling on the province to reverse the decision and Ontario municipal councils to support its resolution.
Alarm raised over fire college closure
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Alarm raised over fire college closure
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Bill Hunter figures he’s spent thousands of hours training over nearly two decades at the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst.
The Perth East and West Perth fire chief was surprised this week when it was announced the college would be decommissioned in March and replaced by regional training centres and online courses, a move he said will potentially compromise safety and cost municipalities money.
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“I can just imagine the outcry if the announcement was to close the Ontario Police College (in Aylmer), and we’ll train all police constables at centres around the province,” Hunter said. “If we don’t have the bricks and mortar in Gravenhurst, I hope we have that (Ontario Fire College) oversight at all regional training centres. There’s 20 of them right now, and can they honestly say all 20 off