Kent North MLA urges resolution to firefighter dispute

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Kent North MLA Kevin Arseneau says he is hopeful that the new municipality of Five Rivers and its volunteer fire department will end a dispute that resulted in all 38 members of the volunteer department withdrawing their services last week.

“The ideal situation would be to find an agreement between the town and the fire hall,” Arseneau, the Green Party MLA for Kent North, told Brunswick News Tuesday. “That has been my focus as I’m mediating and trying to get them to the table so they can hash things out. I’m encouraged that will happen very soon.”

Warren Goodwin, the acting fire chief in Rexton, said Friday that all 23 volunteer firefighters turned in their pagers, collected their personal belongings and locked the door of the fire station as they left last Thursday. He said the mass walkout came after a long period of unfair treatment from the mayor and council.

Goodwin said it was an emotional scene as some of the volunteers have been serving the community for 30 to 50 years. Goodwin said he had been in touch with other fire departments to make sure the people in the communities of Rexton and surrounding areas are not left unprotected in an emergency. 

The Rexton volunteer fire department is responsible for the village, the nearby First Nations community of Indian Island and a section of Route 11. Like other communities, structure fires are rare and the majority of 911 calls are for motor vehicle collisions and medical emergencies.

“I have been reassured that there are many other fire departments ready to respond in the case of an emergency,” Arseneau said. The provincial government, through the Fire Marshal’s Office and the departments of Public Safety and Local Governance are all monitoring the situation.

“My role here is to bring all parties together and have them discuss the situation. My priority is to respect local government decision-making and not step in where I shouldn’t, and also make sure that these fire department volunteers feel that they can return to work in an environment they feel they can work in,” Arseneau said.

Goodwin said the mass walkout came as the volunteers felt they had been treated with disrespect by the municipality and council.

The Times & Transcript reached out to the municipality and Mayor Tina Beers for comment but did not receive a comment. Beers posted a message on the Five Rivers Facebook page, saying that all the allegations from the firefighters are not only concerning but completely unfounded.

“The municipality is deeply committed to fostering a workplace environment that is respectful, inclusive, and free from any form of harassment,” the mayor said in her message to the community. “We take these matters very seriously, and any claims of misconduct are thoroughly investigated.”

Beers said the Five Rivers administration is taking steps to ensure continuous coverage from neighbouring  fire departments.

“Our municipality stands firm in its commitment to providing a safe and respectful workplace environment for all workers and volunteers,” the mayor’s message said.

Other residents posted on the Facebook page, urging that council meet with the firefighters and settle the dispute. The Five Rivers council will hold its next regular meeting on April. 9.