A lake-side community an hour and a half north of Winnipeg may be without a fire department after firefighters threaten to quit.
Firefighters in Victoria Beach are threatening to walk off the job after their fire chief was fired by the rural municipality, according to the Deputy Fire Chief Wolf Kraft.
Kraft said there was a meeting Thursday night where firefighters voted in solidarity with laid off chief Brad Patzer.
“The majority of members felt that they cannot work with the existing council and CAO,” Kraft said.
In a press release, the RM of Victoria Beach Reeve Brian Hodgson said Patzer was fired for his lack of communication.
“This ongoing refusal to communicate and cooperate with the RM was not acceptable. This behaviour placed the RM at increased risk of liability and was not proper or acceptable in an employee/employer relationship,” said the statement.
On Monday the fire department is meeting one more time to vote on what to do.
“Based on the vote last night, without mediation and or changes, the majority of members — if they follow through with the vote from last night — will resign or take stress leave or a leave of absence from the department effective Monday night,” Kraft said.
If the firefighters do walk off the job, that means neighbouring departments will have to step up in the event of a fire or medical emergency.
“Absolutely that 100 per cent concerns us,” Kraft said.
“The majority of our calls over the past years have become increasingly medical calls and we have a first responder team on our department and East Beaches does not. Any medical emergency would have to rely on an ambulance from either Pine Falls or Selkirk or other areas to be dispatched.”
Kraft said response times would be at least 15 minutes longer than what the local fire department could achieve.
“If we walk out, we’re holding the community at ransom on this issue and that’s not what we’re intending to do nor are we wanting to do that. The issue we are having is with the current council and CAO.”
In the press release, Hodgson said contingency plans are in place.
“All emergency calls will be directed to the appropriate agencies.”
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Victoria Beach on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, has a permanent population of about 400 residents, but during the summer vacation season the population can rise to over 5,000 people, many of whom are from Winnipeg.
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