Kingston man witnesses firefighter claim rewards points after filling up a fire department vehicle

Kingston resident Greg Soucie says he was at the gas station at the intersection of Highway 15 and Kingston Mills Road when he saw something that concerned him.

Soucie says he saw a Kingston Fire & Rescue firefighter filling up a fire department pickup truck on June 22.

Filling up the truck wasn’t the problem, Soucie said, but paying for the gas was.

“He was ahead of me in the lineup when we were paying, must have been a city credit card to pay for it, but then he pulls out his optimum card and took the points.”

Soucie says has asked the firefighter if he had just claimed the points for himself.

“I said, ‘Sir, did you just take those optimum points?’ He said, ‘yeah.'”

Soucie says he wondered, at the time, how wide a practice like that is in the municipality.

“Shouldn’t the city get the points?” Soucie said. “It should go back to the city for savings in gas.”

Global Kingston contacted the city of Kingston’s director of communications JC Kenny.

In an emailed response, Kenny wrote that the incident is covered by the municipalities conflict of interest guidelines.

“No employee shall seek to advance a personal interest in the course of their duties.”

Kenny did confirm to Global Kingston that the incident did happen and involved a Kingston firefighter.

Her email also stated that Fire Chief Shawn Armstrong, when made aware of what happened, dealt with the firefighter involved.

Kenny also wrote that the municipality is using this incident to remind all staff of the intent of the conflict of interest guidelines.

Soucie says he’s more or less satisfied with the actions being taken by the municipality.

“The city also needs to get those points for themselves as well.”

Soucie says he sees his municipal taxes go up every year so he’s in favour of any action that brings down municipal costs.