Although some progress has been made to prevent a repeat of the miscommunication that plagued the June 30, 2013, Lake Wanapitei boating tragedy, much more needs to be done.
This, according to Toni Kritz-Roque (whose brother, Michael Kritz, died that night), retired Skead volunteer firefighter John Salvalaggio (who was on the rescue boat responding that night), and Nickel Belt NDP MPP France Gélinas (who has worked with the victims’ families in advocating at Queen’s Park).
Click here for part one of this story, which includes a rundown of what took place that tragic night, and click here for part two, which is about what took place afterward.
Salvalaggio was on the Skead volunteer fire department for 42 years, and retired eight years ago when he hit 70 years of age.
During this time, he said volunteer firefighters have proved themselves to have the best on-the-ground knowledge to respond to emergency situations around Lake Wanapitei.
After the 2013 Lake Wanapitei boat crash passenger Robert Dorzek started phoning 911 following the collision, paramedics went to the wrong location and 911 call-takers spent approximately a half-hour unable to determine where the incident had taken place.
This, Salvalaggio said, is why it was a relief to hear that the Sked volunteer fire station is slated to get repaired and reopen, per a motion by city council last week. It’s integral that local people who understand the local geography are responding to emergency calls.
However, given today’s rigorous training requirements for volunteer firefighters, he’s not holding his breath they get enough volunteers to keep the station open.
“It’s crazy, and these guys are volunteers,” Salvalaggio said. “I mean, they’ve all got jobs, they don’t want to spend every weekend training on their days off and whatnot.”
During his time as a volunteer firefighter, Salvalaggio said the best learning always took place on the job.
“You learn a lot more that way than sitting down and reading a book,” he said.
Also of concern is the fact the water rescue boat previously stationed in the water at Lake Wanapitei was taken out approximately a year ago.
The city’s rescue boats are currently stationed at the Long Lake and Minnow Lake career fire stations, according to a recent city report.
“The rescue boats are trailered and hitched to a response truck with all required rescue equipment already aboard so they can be quickly deployed into lakes across the entire municipality,” according to the city.
Given how popular Lake Wanapitei is during the summer months, Salvalaggio argued there should be a rescue boat stationed locally, to help cut response times. As the 2013 tragedy proves, a few minutes can be integral to saving lives.
In order to further shave response times, he argues that volunteer firefighters in Skead should be allowed to operate the rescue boat without having to wait for a career firefighter.
The city ‘s report notes that “extensive initial and annual training” is required before firefighters are allowed to operate the water rescue boat.
Kritz-Roque, whose family owns Tony's Marina, said that rather than dispatch the city’s rescue boats, 911 call-takers have been urging people in less-emergent situations to phone the marina to see if they have any boats they can send to assist.
This isn’t a long-term solution, she said, adding the city needs to get their own boat back on Lake Wanapitei to better handle things.
Between closing the Skead station in early 2022 and taking the boat off of Lake Wanapitei, both without any public consultation, Kritz-Roque said the city’s communication skills have not improved in the past decade.
The city needs to do more to support volunteer firefighters, not just in Skead but throughout Greater Sudbury, she said, adding that they’re letting one of their best tools “fall by the wayside.”
“I am a total advocate for these outlying areas to have volunteers who know the area, who know the people,” she said. “They know the backroads and the best way to do things.”
Drawing an even wider net around the 2013 Lake Wanapitei boating tragedy, Gélinas has spent the past several years advocating for 911 service for all Ontarians.
Although the federally mandated Next-Generation 911 service will resolve various communications shortcomings by the time it’s implemented in 2025, she clarified that it will only affect those areas with 911 service.
Not all of Ontario has 911 service, she clarified, noting that the land between the City of Greater Sudbury and City of Timmins, as an example, does not have 911 service.
Gélinas’ Bill 75, 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario, would also give the provincial ombudsman the responsibility to investigate complaints against the 911 system.
There is “an openness” on the part of the province to implement a consistent 911 service across Ontario, which Gélinas said she didn’t see a decade ago.
Expanding 911 service has gained even greater importance with Next-Generation 911 service, she said, which will provide call takers with such things as callers’ precise location, and the ability to text.
In the 2013 Lake Wanapitei boating tragedy, a screenshot of Google Maps was sent by Dorzek to a call-taker’s personal cell phone because they didn’t have the ability to receive it at the 911 call centre. The image, in turn, was not shared with emergency responders.
Next-Generation 911, Gélinas said, would have made a life-saving difference that tragic night.
She wants to see the entire province benefit from the upcoming service.
As for the push for transparency, which Kritz-Roque is advocating for and the coroner’s jury recommended in their findings, Gélinas said she’s not seeing it from the province.
“In my community, (the Lake Wanapitei boating tragedy) has been 10 years, but if you go around Lake Wanapitei, it’s as if it was yesterday,” she said.
“The people who lived through that trauma and wanted to see change and haven’t seen change, they will rely on one another before they rely on 911.
“The government has a role to play in rebuilding that confidence, and right now it hasn’t been very successful.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
This is Part 3 in Sudbury.com’s three-part deep dive into the Lake Wanapitei boating tragedy of June 30, 2013. To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here.