Surely there is some solution to be found in the dispute between the Town of Mulgrave (CAO) and the town’s fire department.
After being asked by the Town of Mulgrave to account for the manner in which the fire department is spending money, in November, Mulgrave Fire Chief Mike Breen sent a Letter to the Editor that was published in The Reporter.
The letter from Breen claimed the Mulgrave Volunteer Fire Department is saving the town a “phenomenal” amount of money.
Breen did note that the department has been dealing with budget cutbacks each year, despite maintaining the hall and having to use “outdated” trucks, equipment and fire gear.
He acknowledged the department is fortunate to receive funding for “certain projects” but fundraising has become a challenge since “dances now seem to be a thing of the past.” Instead the department has been hosting Chase the Ace draws and Casino Nights to raise money, but the chief said volunteers are now “worn out.”
In 2001, Breen said the department paid half the cost for a new pumper truck, which was $125,000.
Because the department wanted seniors and the disabled to access the upstairs banquet room, a pedway and a parking lot were built at a cost of approximately $50,000, which was financed by fundraising, with no funds from the town. Then an addition to the downstairs hall, at a cost of $100,000, was completed, with no cost the town.
In 2017, the response truck needed a new chassis, and the department fundraised $30,000 to pay for it.
The department has conducted “major repairs” to the fire hall to keep it safe and accessible, including replacing the rug upstairs in the banquet room, which cost the department $48,000.
The bar area “desperately” needed an update to be fully functional at a cost of $20,000, Breen said, and with the advice of an engineering company, the washrooms were brought up to code at a cost of $89,000 for a “well needed renovation.”
Dishes and table cloths needed replacement in the kitchen at a cost of $3,816 to rent the kitchen to people or caterers for parties or weddings. The upstairs is also used by all church groups free-of-charge.
Breen wrote that the department donated $1,000 each to St. Lawrence Parish, St. Andrew’s Parish, Trinity United Church, and the Royal Canadian Legion in Mulgrave. The department donated an additional $2,000 to the legion for a project they were working on.
Among the donations to the department, Martin Marietta has donated $1,000 for the last five years, which is used for equipment. DSM donated $5,000 to replace out-of-date helmets but the department will still have to pay $2,404.
The cost for 11 sets of new bunker gear cost $48,000 and since the Emergency Providers Fund will pay up to $20,000, the department will fundraise to pay the remainder, $28,000.
When the department’s generator needed to be repaired, Breen said the town refused to cover the cost, but Enbridge donated $7,500 towards the repairs.
The chief said they are in the process of raising money to replace the chassis in their 1991 tanker. The estimated cost of the chassis alone is approximately $130,000 and money raised from the Casino Night and Chase the Ace will be applied to the project.
Breen estimated that the department has raised approximately $500,000 over the last 18 years, at no cost to taxpayers. That does not include the town’s contribution which pays for the operating cost of the hall, some repairs and some equipment.
With tensions continuing to build, earlier this month, Breen threatened to resign as chief.
During the regular monthly meeting of Mulgrave Town Council on January 6, approximately a dozen volunteer firefighters sat in support as Breen delivered a position update.
Councillors delivered him a letter asking him to resign due to health concerns, but Breen said he’s being asked to step down because he doesn’t get along with Mulgrave CAO Darlene Berthier-Sampson.
In response, Berthier-Sampson indicated the fire department is a town service, operated from the town’s budget, and insured by town officials, so they require information.
She said the town is trying to curb some past practices like spending money without purchase orders and seeking payments without adequate paperwork.
The CAO highlighted how during Mulgrave’s budget process, the fire department refused to provide requested financial statements, even though all other funding partners, including public housing, the library and Eastern Solid Waste Management share their financial reports.
The CAO claimed the town employed access to information to obtain statements which were years beyond in reporting and had “no accountability.”
She then recalled that in December, Breen requested a cheque for $7,500 for honorariums to be written directly to the fire department, after which the group was going to figure out each member’s payments. And she said the department planned to also top-up the honorariums. After the town insisted on paper work, the CAO said the amount submitted from the department was $6,500, and after correcting adding mistakes, the total was down to $6,200.
Berthier-Sampson then pointed to past practices of the chief delivering water to residents and businesses without adequate communication or payment to the town, even though the town’s water is a regulated utility and Mulgrave has to charge for usage. She claimed Breen’s actions put the town offside with the utility board.
The CAO said she is concerned that the department has not addressed the issue of expiring turn-out gear because it is regulatory equipment that needs to be put on a monitoring, inspection and maintenance schedule.
Berthier-Sampson said the fire hall is burning excessive amounts of oil, and during a walk-through, she discovered expired fire extinguishers and a furnace that hadn’t been cleaned in seven years since installation. After returning to the fire department with a contractor to assess the heating situation, it was found that the heat in the garage bay was turned up to 60 degrees yet there were holes in some of the doors.
At a fire in Mulgrave, the CAO claimed the chief turned up with no gear on, and when she addressed the protocol and insurance coverage requirements, she said she was told to mind her own business.
It appears the situation is at a standstill in Mulgrave, with those who supported and still back the fire department – as well as the chief personally – are firmly in Breen’s corner.
But there is another constituency within the town that believes the CAO’s questions are relevant and her actions necessary, since this is public money.
But what is most noteworthy is that, despite stark disagreements, neither group of residents has a personal grudge with Breen nor Berthier-Sampson, In fact, the clash of personalities seems to be between the chief and CAO.
That being the case, perhaps it is time both put aside their personal differences and do what’s best for the town and the department. That means Breen puts his health first and admirably ends his lengthy tenure as chief on his own terms. But it also means that the town takes a step back, acknowledges that patience must be used when dealing with long-time volunteers, and that it takes time to change past practices.
Hopefully, a solution can be found so that both entities function as they should for the people they should be serving.