Fire chief, captains contemplate resignation over treatment by council

by Rob Learn

Apr 30, 2008

MAGNETAWAN – Magnetawan fire chief Dave Pringle and his captains Alan Fraser and Dean Butticci have 70 combined years of firefighting experience.

This week they’re pondering whether or not that is going to be the end of the line for them.

The future of fire protection in the Municipality of Magnetawan is hinging on the outcome of a meeting Monday night of the area’s volunteer fire department.

All three say they are leaning toward resigning from the department after the regular council meeting of April 23, where a conflict between council and the department’s leadership went from a simmer to a boil.

Butticci, who has served the longest on the department – 25 years – says, “It is probably the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make. I’ve done this my entire life voluntarily not monetarily. That means something.

“I’ve invested an awful lot into this. Heck, I’ve been a member of this department since when it used to cost us money to belong. If you went to a fire call you filled up the truck on the way back because that was the only way it was going to happen.”

Pringle says he’s upset that Mayor Dick Smith is questioning his and his fire captains’ leadership and decision-making abilities.

Smith said at the April 23 meeting and during interview, that he and council wanted to see the fire department’s training records, “for due diligence.”

“Our concern was, as council, 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.”

“My firefighters and myself would not put themselves or the municipality at risk. That just wouldn’t happen,” said Pringle. “I couldn’t believe it when they started questioning whether we would put people into situations they aren’t trained for.”

“If they have an ulterior motive and want us out of the way they should just say so instead of making these allegations.”

Asked if he feels that he and others on the department are being pushed out by council, Pringle said, “I do. I really do. I’ve served 21 years with my community and money has never been an issue. So I don’t know why they would start questioning my dedication now.”

The mayor’s statement, and similar sentiments expressed during the council meeting, has Butticci upset as well.

“I’ll tell you if I’m responsible for sending some guy into a fire who’s not trained and he dies and there’s an investigation there’s two forms of liability. Sure, they fine me or throw me in jail. That’s one thing. It’s a totally different thing for me to go to that guy’s funeral, to tell his wife and kids he’s not coming back . . . That’s the bigger due diligence,” said Butticci. “We always say, ‘Only do what you’re trained to do. No more.’”

The other fire captain thinking of turning in his stripes is Alan Fraser. He says he’s pretty certain he has made his mind up, but wanted to talk with the other volunteers before making things final.

Asked why he’s considering quitting after 24 years, Fraser said, “There seems to be too many problems with council and the training officer. There’s a lot of other stuff going on too, but I don’t want to say too much right now.”

The decision isn’t easy for him either.

“It’s a little hard to walk away from, that’s for sure,” said Fraser.

All three said they would likely make up their minds before the end of the week.