Majority of Victoria volunteer firefighters resign amid ongoing spat with municipal council
Former fire chief, mayor exchange verbal jabs in front of firehall and residents
A rural Newfoundland volunteer fire chief has walked off the job, along with over 80 per cent of his crew, after a spat with the Victoria, N.L. municipal council in Conception Bay North.
Fire Chief Justin Parsons, along with 20 of the 24 firefighters, resigned on Tuesday in front of a large crowd of concerned residents, who shouted their frustrations at Mayor Barry Dooley.
Both Parsons and Dooley have opposing arguments that relate to a heritage property in the town — a replica fire hall that houses an out of commission truck, all under the care of a heritage committee.
The town is accusing Parsons of breaking and entering on the property in May following a major wildfire in nearby Adam's Cove, which his department responded to.
Parsons said keys to the truck and the building it's housed in were given to both the fire department and the town's heritage society. After the fire, he said, firefighters were in search of a better portable water pump and decided to check inside the old truck.
Parsons said the key broke off in the lock at the time, and as a result he removed the lock entirely, replaced it and gave a new key to the heritage society.
That's when the relationship took a turn.
A week after, Parsons said, the town sent him a letter to his personal email address, accusing him of breaking and entering.
"They said 'You had no business down there,'" Parsons told CBC News. "They're saying 'You broke in and cut the lock off and changed the lock.' I did nothing wrong.… You can't just accuse me of stuff. It's not right."
The town requested he admit to wrongdoing and formally apologize to council at the next public meeting on July 7. Parsons refused, which led to his departure from the fire staff on Tuesday.
Burning bridges
Tensions ran high outside of the firehall on Tuesday afternoon.
"You don't want to hear the truth? Because the truth is coming out today," Dooley told Kathy Parsons, the former fire chief's mother, in front of a restless crowd.
Kathy Parsons fired back.
"Don't you hush me. I don't care what you're going to do. I'm not giving you no time," she shouted. "It's time for you and all the councillors, and everybody up there, to go.... You've been nothing but a bully to my son."
Dooley stood by his version of events. He said the need for an apology came from the heritage society itself, and also told residents he wasn't sure if Parsons had a key to the vintage truck and that he should apologize for what he did.
"Why did it become a department situation when it was a one-man situation, who was asked to do one simple task? All he had to do was apologize to the heritage association for what he did. He broke the lock off a building that wasn't his," Dooley said.
"The two hardest words in the world to say is 'I'm sorry."
Parsons told CBC News the department has had a key since 2014.
He said the town's response is the final straw in a series of past incidents and accusations against the department.
"This council has a track record of pushing out their fire chiefs. Anybody that's ever did anything, you know, that tried to modernize the fire service in this town for the residents, they've destroyed them. They've either pushed them to quit, or you know, they've done stuff like this and forced them out," Parsons said.
"It kills me. It's one of the hardest decisions I've ever had in my life ... but I can't be a part of this no more."
Additionally, Dooley called out other firefighters for not fulfilling their job to protect residents in Victoria. The walkout leaves only four members in the department.
Dooley said he has spoken with fire chiefs in nearby Salmon Cove and Carbonear, and is accusing Parsons of telling those towns to avoid supporting his community amid the walkout — a claim Parsons and his mother denied.
"I'm going to tell you the truth. Your chief, past chief, whatever he is, made a call to Carbonear and Salmon Cove to stop fire services to this community as of today," the mayor said.
"They all just walked out. Salmon Cove wasn't allowed in here, Carbonear is not allowed in here. Who's going to protect you in your bed tonight?"
CBC News called the fire departments in Carbonear and Salmon Cove.
Carbonear fire Chief Trevor Crawford told CBC News he spoke to Dooley on Monday, and when asked by CBC News if he had been told by Parsons not to respond to fires in Victoria, he said that didn't happen. The department would respond to fires in Victoria if called upon, Crawford said.
Salmon Cove didn't respond.
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With files from Jenna Head and The St. John's Morning Show