Hundreds sign petitions to reinstate fired firefighter, pardon captain

Online petitions to reinstate a former Ottawa firefighter who was fired for his involvement in an altercation with a non-binary colleague have garnered hundreds of signatures and demonstrate widespread support for his return, according to the professional association that launched them.

The Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters' Association (OPFFA) launched the trio of petitions Sept. 28, three days after Eric Einagel was found not guilty of assaulting and choking fellow rookie Ash Weaver during a physical scuffle over the dinner dishes at Station 47 in Barrhaven. Ottawa police investigated the incident as a hate crime.

Court heard the "dish fight" on Sept. 14, 2022, was part of a long-standing ritual among junior firefighters who would compete against one another for the "right" to perform menial chores around the fire hall. Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) has since ordered firefighters to cease the practice.

Capt. Greg Wright, who remains with OFS, was found not guilty of threatening to discipline Weaver in an attempt to keep the incident quiet.

"Ash Weaver was not assaulted by Eric Einagel and was not threatened by Greg Wright," Justice Mitchell Hoffman said in delivering his decision late last month, adding the Crown had "not even come close" to proving the allegations against the two.

Einagel fired after investigation

Nevertheless, Einagel was fired following an internal investigation into the allegations. He currently works as a first responder for a private company in Alberta.

According to Wright's lawyer, the veteran captain was initially handed a three-day unpaid suspension but the matter went to arbitration and has remained in limbo since early 2023.

The petitions launched by the OPFFA on Sept. 28 declare: "We the undersigned wish to show our support for Eric Einagel and Greg Wright following their not-guilty verdicts delivered on September 25th. We ask that Ottawa Fire Services and the City of Ottawa reinstate Eric Einagel as an OFS firefighter and remove all of Greg Wright's discipline."

One petition was directed at current OPFFA members, a second at retirees and a third at the general public.

The petitions were live for three days, and in that time garnered a total of 2,484 signatures, according to counts published on the host site change.org. The petition for current members accounted for 1,056 of those, according to the website.

Everyone who signed provided full names, and names added to the petition for OPFFA members were cross-referenced with the association's membership list. Once that process was complete, about 80 per cent of its active membership had signed the petition, the association said.

"The Court found Eric Einagel and Greg Wright not guilty, concluding that Crown had not shown evidence of an assault. Given this, our members believe discipline handed down by the employer should be revoked," said OPFFA president Dave Andre in an emailed response to CBC.

"Eric Einagel should be reinstated and Greg Wright's discipline should be removed."

'They need to be vindicated'

Comments attached to the petition for OPFFA members reflect that attitude. 

"The mental stress, financial hardships and emotional rollercoaster these men had to endure for extremely false accusations is shameful," wrote one contributor who signed their name as Chris Miller.

"They need to be vindicated!" wrote Koert Winkel. A witness with the same name who was acting lieutenant at Station 47 when Einagel arrived there in August 2022 testified during the trial.

In an email, Wright's lawyer Joshua Clarke told CBC: "My client is aware of the petitions and he is thankful for the response they have received. He has not as yet had any discussions with OFS about anything on the employment side."

Einagel's lawyer Dominic Lamb declined to comment because the criminal matter is technically unfinished — Hoffman must still deliver his full reasons for the not-guilty decisions, expected Oct. 30. The Crown will then have 30 days to appeal.

In a statement following Hoffman's initial decision on Sept. 25, Lamb said his client was "relieved to see justice finally done," but added: "These false allegations destroyed a career he spent decades building and defamed his good character. Eric has always been a true ally and the particular nature of these false allegations deeply wounded him on a personal level as well."

Andre said the petitions were closed after three days because the association's legal team is awaiting the end of the court's 30-day appeal window before deciding on next steps.

In the meantime, "we believe the public should rely on coverage of the trial and the judge's decision to form their own opinions," Andre wrote.

In an emailed statement attributed to OFS Chief Paul Hutt, the city wouldn't comment on "individual personnel matters" but said it "recognizes the challenges this incident has posed for the Ottawa Fire Services and the individuals involved."