Council shows fire chief the door

By Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 07

Shock has swept over the Coldstream Fire Department over the dismissal of their beloved fire chief. Sitting one month shy of his 25-year service mark, volunteer fire chief Leo Lecavalier has been let go by the District of Coldstream. Coldstream administration will not get into details as to why the longest-running member currently at the fire hall (who has been chief since 1996) has been dismissed. But Mayor Gary Corner confirmed that Lecavalier’s absence, which came into effect Friday, was not a decision of the fire chief. “The district made that decision,” said Corner. Lecavalier could not be reached for comment.

While the chief was elected by the volunteer fire department, the District of Coldstream says it has final approval of the position. The dismissal has come as a shock to Coldstream Fire Department members, who didn’t find out about it until their Tuesday practice. “They’re quite saddened and disappointed,” said assistant chief Mike Heenan. “We’re very surprised.” With Lecavalier gone, Heenan will assist the current deputy chief Lawrie Skolrood, who takes over as acting chief. Skolrood says the community’s safety remains a top priority. Upset over the dismissal has brought about talks of members walking away from their volunteer positions. “Leo would like us all to stay but do we want to continue to work for people like that?” said member Dennis Wilson, who has worked alongside Lecavalier since he joined the department 21 years ago. While the choice remains up to individual firefighters, Heenan doesn’t anticipate a collective action of members walking.

“It was discussed but the membership and the firefighters didn’t see any benefit to putting the public at risk by withdrawing the services,” said Heenan. In the meantime, they are waiting for direction from Coldstream as to when a new chief should be elected, as there is apparently a desire to review the constitution over the chief’s duties. The members agree that it’s a job that will be hard to fill, not to mention disrupting continuity. “He’s a very well-qualified and respected fire chief,” said Heenan of the man who has held such titles as B.C. training officer of the year. Along with the hours of personal time doing everything from organizing budgets and practices to working on truck designs, the chiefs play a large role in keeping member morale up during a time when new recruits are becoming harder and harder to find. Lecavalier did an exemplary job of that, said Heenan, since Coldstream’s average member service is about nine years. He estimates the B.C. average to be five or less. Fire chiefs are also relied on to deal with politics and relay information for the firefighters. “Leo was our representative, our voice to the council and administration,” said Heenan. “Whatever Leo brought forward was on behalf of the membership.”

It’s all of this, plus his honesty and desire to do everything by the books, that leaves members like Wilson questioning Lecavalier’s dismissal. “We’re not a very happy bunch over there. We know that Leo didn’t do anything wrong and we just don’t understand the logic of it,” said Wilson, adding that there was no notice of the dismissal. Lecavalier’s absence comes as the department awaits the anticipated Aug. 15 completion of its new fire hall, which he was instrumental in pushing for. Lecavalier had expressed concerns with how decision making was handled in regards to the construction of the hall. He said a lack of communication was evident during the process when certain aspects were scrapped or changed due to budget constraints. Corner would not say whether this had anything to do with Lecavalier being let go. “It’s all confidential,” said Corner, who did praise Lecavalier’s service. “I think he’s a great fireman, that’s certainly not the issue here.”

-----------------

Editorial Aug 8 Morning Star

How can a man who has dedicated nearly 25 years to his community be cast aside so effortlessly? The dismissal of Coldstream's fire chief Leo Lecavalier has undoubtably angered and shocked many. On top of that, the decision, made by the District of Coldstream, has no answers attached to it. That can only leave one to read between the lines and come up with their own assumptions. But putting the reasoning and shock aside, let's look at how this decision is going to affect the citizens. Obviously the fire department will be the hardest hit, since a chain effect of replacing the chief's duties comes in. Every member will be expected to pick up a little extra slack. It's likely some members won't mind, but it could put a real strain on those who are already feeling pressured for time between their volunteer role, work and families. Keeping that in mind, there is the question of who will officially fill Lecavalier's large shoes. There's a real likelihood that no one may want to take on the endless responsibilities and overtime that goes into being a chief. Therefore, Coldstream may be forced to hire a full-time chief.Lecavalier himself said in his 2006 fire chief's report: "The amount of time and effort required to operate the department is considerable therefore, the district should start thinking about a 'paid' administration soon." Whether it's a paid chief or other member, guess who'll be on the hook to pay for it – the taxpayers. But perhaps some comfort can be held knowing the election is coming in November.