Toronto Volunteer Firefighter

TORONTO – Tom Hunse was a volunteer firefighter in the Cookstown section in the town of Innisfil for the past 26 years, before being hired as a professional firefighter in Toronto during the early 1990’s. Today his union is threatening to fire him, if he will continue to “double-hat, ” because’s understood.

But Hunse states four many years after some body submitted a complaint about him volunteering in Innisfil, he’s perhaps not stopping his volunteer task, arguing “it would eliminate me personally if my neighbour’s household had been burning down and I couldn’t do just about anything about it.”

Hunse, just who life just a couple obstructs from the Cookstown firehall, claims he has got an art and craft and doesn’t comprehend “why can I maybe not use that ability within my neighborhood to assist my buddies, families and neighbors?”

However the Ontario Union of expert Firefighters says Hunse is not really a volunteer since he’s making between $25-40 one hour. Carmen Santoro, the president associated with the union, says whenever Hunse ended up being hired “he took an oath to comply with the constitution” never to double-hat.

Santoro claims if Innisfil ended up being a strictly volunteer fire department, there would not be a conflict. He said the situation is based on that one of four fire channels in Innisfil comprises of full-time unionized workers.

“He’s also using work away from somebody else locally that will wish to be a part-time firefighter and make $25-40 an hour, and potentially use that as knowledge that is needed to make an application for a full time firefighting place.”

The Union claims there’s additionally a safe practices danger if a volunteer firefighter had been to the office through the night at a fire, before going right to work on their full-time task. But Hunse states his priority is his job in Toronto and claims he turns down their pager whenever he’s because of at their facility #422 on Jane St. near Dundas.

“i do believe my free time must be my leisure time, ” he said, outlining it’s not in regards to the cash. A year ago, he feels he attained $3-5, 000.

The mayor of Innisfil totally aids Hunse alongside expert firefighters who double-hat, saying they bring experience with other volunteer firefighters.