Communication efforts with Mulgrave Fire Chief Mike Breen have included efforts to curb his practice of executing spends without purchase orders, seeking payments without adequate paperwork and failure to account for the operational and regulatory status of the department.
During the town’s budgeting process last spring, financial statements were requested from the Mulgrave Volunteer Fire Department which refused the request. All other funding partners with the Town of Mulgrave, including public housing, the library, Eastern Solid Waste Management etc. share their financial reports with the town given we provide some level of funding to them.
This is normal practice in an open and transparent environment where people are accountable and certainly validated by the fact that no other organization has a problem with this; just the town’s fire department. The town recently used access to information to obtain the statements which were years beyond in reporting. Additionally, there is no accountability in them. The report contains three numbers including revenue, “other expenses” and profit. While the request for the financial statements was likely the first big contentious issue with chief Breen, there are numerous others.
In December, chief Breen requested a cheque for $7,500 for honorariums be written “directly” to the fire department siting “they will figure out the payments to each member” and that “the honorariums will indeed be much more than the $7,500 budget, the FVD will top them up.” Chief Breen actually expects us to follow his direction on these types of requests.
There are guidelines the town must follow regarding Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) exemptions, allowances and possible reporting requirements, not to mention being accountable for taxpayer dollars. Chief Breen is not, however, interested in following the town’s administration practices. When the town refused to issue a cheque blindly and insisted on paper work, the amount submitted was $6,500, and after we corrected adding mistakes, the total was $6,200.
These are the types of requests I receive from the chief and failure to follow his rules is causing conflict. The town is not in the habit of handing over money blindly; not under my watch and the same rules apply to fire chief Breen.
In the past, the chief has been delivering water to residents and businesses without adequate communication or payment to the town. The town’s water is a regulated utility for which we must charge. His actions put the town offside with the utility board. This too was a topic for which the chief felt I had no jurisdiction. This was going on for a long time until I discovered it and put an end to it so that we are now back in compliance with the utility and there is fairness to those who are paying their fair share.
The fire department recently discovered that their turn-out gear was expiring. This is regulatory equipment that needs be put on a monitoring, inspection and maintenance schedule. For the fire department to not have this on its radar is concerning to say the least.
What else is not on their radar I ask? Turns out there are a number of things. During a walk-through a few weeks back I discovered expired fire extinguishers and a furnace that hadn’t been cleaned in seven years since installed; a fire risk in itself. And yes, this is a fire department I am speaking about.
The building is burning excessive amounts of oil that the taxpayers are footing the bill for. When I returned to the fire department with a contractor to assess the heating situation, we found the heat in the garage bay turned up to 60 degrees yet you could see outside through some of the doors. Fire chief Breen is not interested in discussing these issues or resolving these problems, he just wants it put on auto fill with no questions asked. He wants to run his ship the way he has for years.
The assets of the fire department belong to the town and people of Mulgrave who deserve answers as to the reliability and readiness of the department and its equipment. It’s very apparent there are issues that need to be addressed within the fire department. I’m not interested in sweeping them under the rug or continuing the status-quo given it does not align with the risk management practices Mulgrave is deploying. What I am interested in is providing confidence to the town that their fire department is effective and that the chief is fulfilling the role he has willingly volunteered for.
At a recent fire in Mulgrave, the chief turned up with no gear on. When I addressed the protocol and our insurance coverage requirements, I was told to mind my own business.
In an effort to avoid accountability for but a fraction of the items I have noted, chief Breen has used the excuse that he cannot work with the town’s administration or me and that his health is suffering. He threated to quit twice, each time claiming that the entire fire department will quit if he does. This is bullying 101. It’s a sad day when someone in a position of trust has to make threats to avoid accountability. Rarely do I deal with such lack of ethics and immaturity regarding such important issues.
Town council requested fire chief Breen’s resignation yet he refuses to resign or be accountable. Tone at the top tends to determine tune in the middle, and it’s clear that there is problem with the culture under his leadership.
During the council session on January 6, chief Breen suggested the fire department escort me out of town. It’s unfortunate that after 41 years, he actually still hasn’t clued in that fire trucks are not his property! I take my direction from the mayor and council, not chief Breen.
During the debate, I asked a member of the department if they wanted to see me resign and when they replied “no you’re an asset to the town,” the chief exploded at that individual for showing support for me, the CAO. He has created an environment of putting council in a position of picking between a CAO or fire chief. They, nor I, are having anything to do with his antics; we are above that.
When the fat is boiled away from the bone, the bottom line is that chief Breen has never had anyone hold him accountable, ever. He takes great exception with this change. What he doesn’t know is that I have received tremendous support from residents who applaud the fact that someone is asking questions and improving accountability. I will not be intimated by the chief, nor the department, and I’ve just started asking questions; just started!
Darlene Berthier Samson
Chief Administrative Officer
Town of Mulgrave