About 75 people showed up outside Tantramar Town Hall tonight to support the 12 Sackville firefighters who turned in their pagers last week bringing the number of on-call firefighters to only about 18, in a department where full strength would be 43.
During a two-minute presentation, Sackville resident Breanne Wheaton warned town council that understaffing in Sackville Fire and Rescue puts public safety at risk as she referred to a National Fire Protection Association standard.
“It expects a rural community like Sackville to be able to put six trained firefighters on scene within 14 minutes, 80% of the time,” she said.
“With less than 18 firefighters remaining in our department, that standard is not realistically achievable,” she added.
Breanne Wheaton addressing Tantramar council
Wheaton referred to a news release the town issued late this afternoon promising the immediate hiring of an External Workplace Investigator “to address complaints and concerns received from firefighters.”
“What makes council think doing another investigation will bring about any change?” she asked after noting that the $31,500 Montana consultants’ report commissioned in 2021 had not resolved problems that had led to the resignations of more than 30 Sackville firefighters over a 10-year period.
Mayor Andrew Black replied that the Montana consultants had conducted a workplace assessment which he described as “someone coming in and getting a feel for an operation or organization” and then recommending changes in standard operating guidelines and procedures that would not fix underlying issues.
“I want to make it very clear that there’s a difference between what a workplace assessment is and what an investigation is,” he said.
Mayor Andrew Black
“Investigation is something altogether different.” he added. “It is an acknowledgement that there are clear indications of violation and those need to be investigated and at the end of that there would be a concrete and firm course of action.”
The town’s news release also promised to recruit a Director of Protective Services to oversee Tantramar’s three fire departments.
In the meantime, council has approved a new position called Tantramar Fire Service Manager of People and Culture to handle fire department issues.
Acting Clerk Becky Goodwin, who served for nine years as a volunteer in Sackville Fire and Rescue, has been reassigned to the new post. Her late father, Wayne Goodwin, also served as fire chief for many years.
When Councillor Michael Tower asked if these new measures gave her confidence that the town might be moving in the right direction, Wheaton replied that what stopped her from having full confidence was the length of the turmoil within the fire department.
“We’re talking 10 to 12 years that these issues have been going on and so I’m hoping that this council is going to be the council that that puts an end to that and gives a better work environment for these volunteers that give a lot of their time to our community,” she said.
To read the town’s news release, click here.
To read the full text of Breanne Wheaton’s statement to town council, click here.
To read Mayor Black’s explanation of the differences between the Montana workplace assessment conducted in 2021 and the promised external workplace investigation, click here.
“Good heavens—hiring even more staff? Adding to an already bloated payroll is the last thing we need.
Contrary to the promises made during amalgamation, staffing levels have ballooned dramatically—far from the efficiencies and cost savings that were supposed to result. Instead of streamlining, we’ve seen the exact opposite: unchecked growth in headcount that burdens taxpayers.
It seems no one has the courage to address poor performance or hold people accountable. The old ‘public trough’ mentality—where jobs go to friends and family—appears alive and well, protected at all costs.
More bodies on the payroll isn’t the solution; better management, accountability, and fiscal discipline are.”
This document is very informative and ensures there is a public reference document.
Would it be possible to have the pages numbered to fascinate quick research and distribution of information?
That was a quite a crowd who gathered outside town hall last night. Despite the good nature and concern for the well-being of the community in light of the latest fire department fiasco, the consensus was clear. The cao, fire chief and mayor have not shown the type of leadership that is required/expected by the populace, which is not surprising.
Another widely-held point was that these people are in way over their heads. (One man asked if this lack of response would be the same if we had a ‘real’ crisis, as in, a hazmat incident within the municipality?) Typically, when a senior leader or manager is embroiled in controversy, said individual is placed on ‘administrative leave’ from the role, pending an inquiry. It appears the aforementioned individuals do not want to do that. Instead, a new role was created, (as was alluded to last week) with a temporary(?) re-direction of the assistant town clerk. Is this the best solution the cao could come up with? A person who has volunteer experience with the FD and the granddaughter of a former chief, who himself was allegedly removed, for reasons similar to the current chief’s woes?
Is there no other person better qualified/suitable? Forget about transparency, this would keep all within the 4 walls of the municipal offices. In addition, if an ‘investigator’ is hired, how much interference will these people add to the process, perhaps culminating in another report, that will be deemed to be off limits to the public. Word outside council chambers last night was that this new role would be turned over to the friend of the cao, or, she will appoint him the new director.
Make no mistake about it, cao, mayor and chief: the community and its citizens are angry that your inaction and indifference to matters that should have been resolved years ago, has resulted in this mess. You are responsible and accountable.
One lady I spoke to last night was chuckling at the urgent posting of the protective services director, insisting that the job was a way for the cao to shirk even more responsibility, by allowing a new person to take the heat. Another stated his opinion that the role would most likely be given to the embattled chief, which would be a slap in the face to the citizens. Another questioned the timing of the posting, wondering why the cao waited for 2 years to re-offer the role. They were quite firm in their belief that the cao, chief and mayor have to go, as they have lost the confidence of the citizens.
That being the case, I call once again for the immediate resignation of the cao, mayor and fire chief and that an investigation be launched by the Province. On a similar note, someone should advise the mayor that, despite his pontificating about ‘assessment versus investigation,’ to those of us who have been involved in workplace matters, they are essentially the same.
Here’s a crazy idea:
Why not let the firefighters choose the fire chief? They’re the ones with experience of the work, who know what they want and need. Give the town a veto on the selection, but let the firefighters decide, and have the position come up for a vote by the firefighters every 5 years, with new candidates. And do it openly, like an election, not all behind closed doors away from the public.
I’m sure they could choose someone they can work with, and do it without spending tens of thousands of dollars on consultants to do the work of the town office and council.
I see the cao, in all her infinite wisdom, has decreed the rules of engagement for the workplace ‘assessment,’ or is it actually an ‘investigation?.’ Perhaps the mayor can enlighten, us? Only the 31 fire fighters who are currently on the roster now will be invited to communicate with the investigator. Why is that? Why not include all the FF who were volunteers when the chief took over, including those she ‘fired’ before Christmas? What is being hidden? I dont see any transparency here and quite frankly it does nothing to instill any confidence in the cao, chief and mayor. It would appear that the narrative will be controlled, like the Montana report was. Surely the investigator will see through the smoke and mirrors and conduct the investigation on her own terms, as it should be. I state once again that the matter should never have occurred in the first place and it is the failure to act, of the cao, chief and mayor that exacerbated the mess. I call once again for the immediate resignation of the cao, chief and mayor and an investigation be conducted by the Province.