Mayor admits to deceptive tactics in attempt to coerce fire department

by Rob Learn

Apr 30, 2008

MAGNETAWAN – A presentation to Magnetawan council at its regular meeting on April 23 did little to end a stand off with the fire department.

The stand off has the leadership of the Magnetawan Fire Department considering resigning their positions and council and Mayor Dick Smith admitting to attempting to deceive them.

Magnetawan Fire training officer Dean Butticci was in the heat of things at the meeting where he made a presentation directly questioning statements from Smith and CAO Earl Evans.

In front of more than a dozen of his fellow firefighters, Butticci questioned the council why he and his fire chief Dave Pringle were being coerced into handing over the department’s training records.

“Mayor Smith informed me that the person interested in seeing these records was the Fire Marshall,” said Butticci reading from a prepared statement.

He also outlined an encounter just prior to an April 12 fire call where Pringle was summoned from work by Evans where he was pressured by the CAO to produce the department’s training records.

“Earl also hinted that if we did not produce records showing our training in these two areas, that a letter might be sent to the media in regards to this situation,” said Butticci.

Butticci said Evans was making the request based on allegations that firefighters were not trained in CPR or interior fire attack.

The incidents led Pringle to contact the Office of the Fire Marshall, said Butticci, where “they confirmed that they had not requested such records.”

At the meeting Evans denied of Butticci and Pringle’s accounts. However, Mayor Smith confirmed in front of the 40 people in attendance “That I did make that statement,” about the Office of the Fire Marshall requesting training records.

Smith said that almost a year ago council had requested a copy of the department’s training records and that the records had yet to be produced.

“We needed to know that the training is ongoing and these people are learning what they need to and are not being put into harm’s way,” said Smith of why he wanted the training records.

“Dick, you are not the Fire Marshall and I don’t think you are going to the media. If you feel you need to know more about our training I will sit down and discuss it with you,” said Butticci.

“But I am the mayor and I’ve requested these records,” retorted Smith.

Butticci then outlined his disappointment with council, citing what he perceived as council’s unwillingness to work with the municipality’s emergency response volunteers.

“I wanted more than a go-to person (on council). I wanted to sit down with all of council and address the issues that we’re facing. After our meeting in January I thought that was going to happen, but nothing has,” said Butticci.

Smith tried to return to the issue of obtaining the training records. Butticci then waved in front of the council.

“What’s that?” asked Smith.

“Our training records,” replied Butticci.

“Can we have them?” asked Evans.

“I don’t know yet. You’re not the Fire Marshall,” replied Butticci. “. . . We wanted to make sure that you (council) were being straight with us.”

With Butticci taking his seat amongst the gallery, a firefighter standing in the back interrupted the meeting, saying, “I would advise you not to use the threat of the Fire Marshall. Don’t threaten us.”

Smith denied that he had threatened the department, saying that he only wanted the training records.

The firefighter requested council, “Be straight up with us,” which elicited an “Okay,” from Smith.

In an interview after the meeting, Smith backed away from his admission of using the name of the Fire Marshall to coerce Butticci.

“I had indicated to him (Butticci) that I thought, I don’t know, we needed the records and maybe the Fire Marshall would like to see them. I told him that yes I did make that statement,” said Smith.

Asked if he thought he would have any difficulty working with the fire department, Smith said, “I don’t think so. I hope not. You know they are an important part of the community. Volunteer servicemen are needed and they do a good job. Our concern as council is are they getting the right training? That’s our concern. Are we sending guys out there or is the chief sending guys out there that could get hurt because they are not: one, wearing their equipment or they haven’t had the right training.”

“. . . If one of these guys got killed in a fire and the Fire Marshall investigated and found out what’s in your training record, ‘Oh that guy never had any training entering a blazing house on fire,’ now (council is) liable.”

When asked, Smith said that he had no specific examples or concerns about firefighters being sent into situations they were not trained for.

Both Pringle and Butticci say they never send firefighters into situations they are not trained for.

After the meeting, Butticci and Pringle said they would have to meet with the members of the Magnetawan Volunteer Fire Department from both the Village of Magnetawan and the Ahmic Harbour stations to decide how to proceed. That meeting was expected to happen late Monday night.

Both fire officers and fire captian Alan Fraser said Monday before the meeting that they are contemplating resigning from the department.