Here’s the open letter to David Eby that got a Victoria firefighter suspended

In a move that has drawn considerable attention, a Victoria firefighter has been suspended for one day without pay after raising concerns about the safety of first responders and the location of social service centres in Victoria neighbourhoods.

Firefighter Josh Montgomery was vocal about the risks posed to first responders in areas like the 900-block of Pandora Avenue, where issues related to homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges are prevalent.

Montgomery had also participated in a protest at Victoria City Hall last month, objecting to the city’s role in establishing a new facility at 2155 Dowler Place.

The City of Victoria announced that the Dowler site will provide various services aimed at reducing the impacts of homelessness, including food support, overdose prevention, healthcare, and more. However, Montgomery, along with other concerned citizens, expressed apprehensions about the potential impact on neighbourhood safety.

Adding to his protest, Montgomery penned an open letter to BC Premier David Eby, urging the province to block the opening of a homeless services site in Victoria’s North Park neighbourhood.

Multiple media reports confirmed that Montgomery had been disciplined, and today, the union representing him, Local 730 of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), issued a statement to clarify the situation.

The union’s president, Jeremy Wilson, addressed the circulating rumours and confirmed the suspension:

“There has been misinformation that has been circulated amongst the public regarding employment matters with one of our members. Local 730 can confirm that a member, Josh Montgomery, was disciplined for his opinions shared in a letter to Premier Eby. He was suspended without pay for 1 day. That day is Friday, August 16th. There is a process to be followed under the collective agreement and that has been initiated.”

The suspension of Montgomery has sparked debate in the community, with many questioning whether a firefighter should face disciplinary action for voicing concerns related to public safety.

Others argue that the collective agreement must be upheld, regardless of the content of an employee’s public statements.

Here is the open letter that got Montgomery suspended:

Dear Premier Eby,

I am writing to you as both a dedicated first responder and a deeply concerned citizen of Victoria.

The escalating violence and alarming decisions being made by City of Victoria officials have put my life, the lives of my colleagues, and the safety of our community at severe risk.

On July 11, 2024, a paramedic was viciously attacked in the 900 block of Pandora Avenue while trying to assist a patient. Following the attack, a shocking swarming incident occurred, with approximately 60 unhoused people circling and threatening first responders.

This dangerous incident required an emergency police response with officers from across the capital region attending.

As a result, decision makers have declared that paramedics and firefighters, who are supposed to be saving lives, will no longer respond to emergencies in the 900 block of Pandora without a police escort.

This terrifying reality has rightfully drawn national headlines and cast a harsh spotlight on the dangers we—first responders and citizens of Victoria—face daily.

If this incident weren’t terrifying enough, on July 15, 2024, VicPD recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with extended magazine and ammunition from a person on the 900 block of Pandora.

But the situation is worsening. The Mayor of Victoria has announced an outrageous plan to relocate an unregulated drug consumption site and hub for the unhoused from the 900 block of Pandora Avenue into a quiet, family-oriented residential neighborhood.

The planned facility at 2155 Dowler Place is expected to serve 300 unhoused people per day—just 100 feet from where my young daughters, ages 4 and 6, play outside our home.

Not only was this facility announced without any consultation with the residents who call this area home, the city proceeded without any formal process to select the service delivery organization, SOLID, and provided them with $2.1 million dollars.

We, the residents, were not given a chance to voice our concerns. We, the residents, were not given a chance to hear why the City of Victoria believes relocating services for the drug-addicted and substance users into a residential neighborhood with children playing next door is a choice that keeps people safe and protects citizens from harm.

At a public meeting held on July 9, 2024, the Mayor of Victoria stated plainly that the city did not hold public consultation because she knew our response would be one of firm opposition.

At that meeting, the Mayor also stated unequivocally that people would be consuming drugs on the site at 2155 Dowler, though the site is not an official consumption site. The Mayor and SOLID were unable to provide any evidence that their plan for Dowler would protect the neighborhoods vulnerable citizens—the children as well as low-income seniors who live in a BC Housing apartment complex next door.

As a first responder, I am experiencing firsthand the escalating aggression from individuals frequenting outreach services like those planned for 2155 Dowler. People have started attacking and threatening first responders and creating a hostile and dangerous environment not just for emergency personnel but for the entire community.

Moving this population into a residential area is a reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.

Premier Eby, I implore you to take immediate action and stop the relocation of this unregulated consumption site to 2155 Dowler Place.

The safety of first responders and families must be the province’s utmost priority. The current approach taken by the City of Victoria is not only reckless but endangers lives and erodes the public’s trust in our local and provincial leadership.

Please, do not let this dangerous decision stand. I urge you to intervene for the sake of our community who deserve to live and work in a safe environment.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter. I look forward to your swift and decisive action.

Sincerely,

Josh Montgomery

Following the media attention received from the firefighter being suspended, Premier David Eby released the following statement:

“As Premier, I need to hear from people in order to do my job, and I thank the firefighter for writing to me about his front-line perspective. I want to hear from front-line workers, first responders, and any member of the public who wants to share what they are seeing in their communities. No one should face consequences for writing to me and if that’s the reason he was sanctioned, then he deserves an apology and back-pay from the person responsible.”

“I’ve asked staff to follow up with the firefighter’s union to see if there’s anything I can do to support. First responders do heroic work in our communities. I will always stand firm in supporting the work they do to keep us all safe,” added Eby.

In addition to the statement, Eby clarified the Dowler Street project the BC Conservatives referenced is a City of Victoria project and said the province has no involvement. A member from the Conservative party brought the firing to light.

The City of Victoria told the BC NDP they are not planning a consumption site for the location and Island Health has not received an application for any such site.

UPDATE: Frustrated Victoria mayor says she had no involvement in firefighter suspension

Frustrated Victoria mayor says she had no involvement in firefighter suspension