Yellowknife (Oct 11/06) - The family of a firefighter killed in a shed fire last year hopes the establishment of a court-ordered training fund will prevent the deaths of any more Yellowknife firefighters.

Sisters of firefighter Kevin Olson, from left, Christina Olson and Teri Howatt, attended a memorial service in Yellowknife in March to pay tribute Olson and Lieut. Cyril Fyfe, who were killed in the line of duty the year before. - NNSL file photo

Charges against the city and deputy fire Chief Darcy Hernblad for failing to take reasonable safety precautions and providing adequate safety training were stayed last Friday in favour of an agreement that will see the city commit $300,000 over 10 years to a safety training fund.

The agreement also calls on the city to report on the fund's progress to the NWT Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) every six months, and for Hernblad to undergo a competency test by an expert panel.

The charges were laid following the tragic fire on March 17, 2005, that claimed the lives of Lieut. Cyril Fyfe and firefighter Kevin Olson.

They were killed after a shed roof at the Home Building Centre collapsed on top of them while fighting a blaze inside.

The Olson family has been highly critical of how the fire was handled. Four firefighters were on the roof of the small shed trying to cut a hole through it when it collapsed. The Olsons believe it was a training exercise gone awry.

Christina Olson, Kevin's sister, said now that charges have been stayed and an agreement with the city has been reached, it can only lead to better training and tighter safety precautions for the Yellowknife fire department.

"We feel that it's a very good thing," said Olson, whose brother was 24 and was only in his second week on the job when he was killed.

"It's a guaranteed outcome. They're (the city) taking responsibility and all the residents have to know that in their capital (newsletter).

"They're forced to pay the $300,000 that's only for the use of the fire department, and that Darcy Hernblad will receive a competency test, training and then another competency test to see if he's even fit to run a fire department."

Olson said she doesn't mind that federal prosecutors and the WCB reached an agreement with the city instead of pursuing a guilty verdict in court with no assurance of a conviction.

"This is a guaranteed outcome that hopefully will make it so that it doesn't happen again," said Olson. "It will make Yellowknife a better place for those firefighters."

Olsons said, however, that there is still a lack of public disclosure regarding the various investigations into the firefighters' deaths.

While Friday's agreement for the first time provides a timeline of events during the early morning hours of March 17, 2005, several reports on the incident remain hidden from the public.

Olson said all reports on the incident - including those written by the WCB, the city and the NWT fire marshal's office - should be made public.

"I think the public needs to be totally aware of how exactly the events played out that day... so that people understand what happened," said Olson.

Fyfe's family members declined to comment. Lieut. Craig Halifax, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters local 2890, said firefighters weren't prepared to issue an response to the agreement at press time.