04/27/2026
Bay Roberts Fire/Rescue extends sincere condolences on the passing of Lt. Jim O’Toole, of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and our brothers and sisters with SJRFD and the International Association of Fire Fighters during this difficult time.
The IAFF is saddened by the death of St. John’s Local 1075 President Jimmy O’Toole, who died from complications of occupational cancer.
A fire fighter since 2001 and a union leader for over a decade, Jimmy was fiercely committed to the health and safety of members across Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout Canada.
Long before his own cancer diagnosis in 2018, he helped lead the effort to establish presumptive coverage for 11 occupational cancers in Newfoundland and Labrador. Even as he faced cancer himself, Jimmy helped build on that progress by expanding presumptive coverage to include eight more cancers in 2022.
That advocacy continued through his service on the IAFF’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee, where he represented members across eastern Canada and helped shape the union’s work on occupational cancer.
Jimmy is survived by his wife, Crystal, and their sons, Gavin and Ryan. We keep them – and all who knew and loved Jimmy – in our prayers.
