After 21 years with the Magnetawan Volunteer Fire Department, fire chief Dave Pringle turned in his pager and radio equipment on Thursday night. He has since picked them up.
MAGNETAWAN – Fire protection services are back in place in the Municipality of Magnetawan.
Fifteen firefighters have agreed to return to serve on the area’s volunteer fire department after a mass resignation/leave of absence earlier last week.
The exodus from the local emergency response body had many in the community worried about theirs and loved ones’ safety.
“We’re very pleased to (have fire service restored.) We’re very glad to have the ladies and fellows back with the department,” said Magnetawan mayor Dick Smith of their return.
More than 85 per cent of the 18 to 20-member strong force left the force on Thursday, May 1 after a dispute flared up between the council and fire department.
Part of that dispute centred around council’s request for the department’s training records that had gone unfulfilled, though the mayor says there were other factors.
In a news release announcing the return of fire protection, Smith says, “We have resolved several items of mutual concern and will continue to work with our fire department so that community safety is protected and so that appropriate procedures, reports and lines of communication are followed.”
Asked what those “items of mutual concern” were, Smith declined to comment, saying, “I don’t want to get into that because some of it is tied to personality conflicts.”
He did not comment on whom the personality conflicts were between.
The deal that brought back the members of the volunteer department was reached in two meetings on Friday, May 2. The first was held in the afternoon between Smith, deputy-mayor Frank Todd, CAO Earl Evans, two representatives from the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), fire chief Dave Pringle, and district fire chiefs Jack Crossman and Alan Fraser.
From that meeting an agreement was reached and presented at a second meeting between the chiefs and the other firefighters.
Key in getting the firefighters back to the table was Crossman who kept the lines of communications open with council.
“I felt that we had to do something,” said Crossman. “I don’t want to lose fire service here.”
Talks with the department and the council broke off early and abruptly on Thursday, May 1 at a special council meeting called to address the walkout by the firefighters.
Minutes into the meeting, council voted to go into closed session with the firefighters and representative of the OFM.
Local resident Jim Shaw requested, with the firefighters’ support, to stay in the meeting to act on their behalf.
When he wasn’t allowed to stay the firefighters marched out of the room, some turning their pagers and response lights in as they left.
Crossman was amongst the six firefighters that stayed outside the closed door meeting and talked with an OFM representative and local residents while council deliberated.
After about 45 minutes, Smith emerged from the closed meeting and arranged the successful Friday meeting.
Prior to the mayor’s emergence, the mood outside was of anger and worry.
One woman approached the OFM representative asking about emergency medical response.
“Burk’s Falls is at least an extra 15 minutes away. If my husband has a heart attack he could be dead before (emergency personnel) get here.”
“I know that,” responded the OFM representative.
Every firefighter outside the meeting said they had lost a lot of sleep over their decision but that stepping away from the department was necessary.
“It comes down to trust,” said 10-year veteran Austin Toth. “When I’m out there fighting a fire do I trust this council to have my back. If I get hurt or if there is a legal issue, are they going to do the right thing?”
For Crossman and his brother Carl, they wondered if it was the end of their firefighting days.
The pair are founding members of the Ahmic Harbour Fire Station and just weeks before received their 30-year pins with fellow Magnetawan volunteer Jim Pettit.
“How is it that a council can ignore something like a 30 year pin, but stir up all kinds of trouble?” asked Crossman.
But, those resentments may be water under the bridge by now.
Fire training officer Dean Butticci who initially challenged council about its demand for training records and concerns about competency, says he’s ready to move forward.
“My very specific and ultimate goal was to start working with the council to address concerns and issues,” said Butticci.
Butticci is amongst the volunteer firefighters who say they appreciate the support through phone calls and lobbying council on their behalf that happened over the past two weeks.
“We have the support of the people. People know that we are there for them day or night, it doesn’t matter,” said Butticci.
And being there was obviously important to the firefighters who were by times very emotional at the Thursday meeting.
Pringle, who returned as the fire chief on Friday, said just two days earlier that he wouldn’t return the department because too much had gone on.
“I can’t say enough about the people on the department who really dedicate themselves, because they care about their community and want to help,” said the fire chief.
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