PENTICTON — A former Penticton Fire Chief is suing the City for wrongful dismissal and several other claims.
Wayne Harold Williams, 56, served the City of Penticton with a notice of civil claim on June 21, 2016.
In an exclusive interview with Global News, Wayne Williams says over the span of four days in February 2015, the fire department responded to three major fires.
One of those calls irrevocably changed his life. It was a house fire, but it was no ordinary blaze because a body was found inside; the man had committed suicide.
Williams believes this incident triggered his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“It’s something I never, ever, thought that I’d experience, especially being the Fire Chief. You’re supposed to be the one on top there; you’re supposed to take all that,” says Williams.
In September, he took a short-term disability leave to be treated for PTSD and filed for workers’ compensation.
“I was forgetting things, even the simplest things, like driving was getting difficult for me. And I was very emotional,” he says. “Even to family, I didn’t want to admit something was wrong.”
The papers claim that Williams told the City he would retire on February 22, 2016, but later changed his mind, and the City allegedly agreed to discuss the matter after his treatment was over.
Williams claims his employment was terminated on February 22, 2016. He alleges he was asked to hand in his uniforms, even though retired firefighters are entitled to wear the dress uniform on certain occasions as a retired member of the fire service.
He also claims that the City owes him money for vacation pay and back-pay for a retroactive wage increase agreed on through union bargaining.
Williams is seeking compensation for the termination, saying it caused mental distress and humiliation.
He was hired as Deputy Fire Chief in 2001 and promoted to Fire Chief in 2005.
The City of Penticton says it is not commenting on the lawsuit at this time. It has not yet filed a response to the civil claim.
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