CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall’s outgoing fire chief is disappointed city councillors shelved his recommendation to hire four new people within his department – and lays blame for that decision at the feet of the union.
Rick McCullough told Seaway News Tuesday the four probationary firefighters he wants brought in to fill vacancies within the department were all but assured until what he calls a “negative PR campaign” was rolled out by the Cornwall Professional Firefighters Association.
“If they (the association) had let me go through the budget process, I would have had my four firefighters,” he said. “That’s my opinion.
“They trashed the fire chief. They trashed the CAO. They trashed the fire master plan, they trashed their own prevention and training division members and they trashed council.”
McCullough is set to retire in a matter of weeks and his replacement will decide whether the hires are warranted before going to city council to get permission to bring the new people in.
McCullough is disapointed that council would not accept his belief that the firefighters should be hired.
“The guy who has spent 35 years as an employee in the department,” he added. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m surprised that council didn’t listen to the outgoing chief…or ask me any questions Monday night.
“I’ve been consistent all along in saying they should be in there.”
But McCullough said the comments made by association members, who want the new people brought in as well, contributed to council’s decision to shelve the hiring for now.
“I’m disappointed with the (association) leadership,” he said. “They brought a knife to a gun fight.”
The money to hire the firefighters remains in the budget – about $208,000. But there won’t be a decision made on the hires until late this year.
Representatives from the firefighters association were not immediately available for comment.
Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy said the decision not to hire the four new people now has little to do with McCullough.
“He has been consistent in sticking up for the fire department,” said the mayor. “The decision is not a reflection on him.
“But at this time we are putting it off until we go through the fire master plan with the new fire chief.”
The fire master plan was received by council Monday night and includes a slew of recommendations.
It has been soundly rejected by the firefighters association, that was very critical of the leadership within the department during budget deliberations at city hall.
More to come.
