DRYDEN, Ont. – The insistence by a group of volunteer firefighters in Dryden that the fire chief be removed from his role will likely stand in the way of any immediate resolution to a nearly month-long dispute that has led to more than 30 firefighters threatening to end their service.
A representative of the Dryden Firefighters Association reiterated the demand for fire chief Ryan Murrell to be ousted from his position when asked at a city council meeting on Monday night what it would take for the volunteers to return to duty.
Dryden mayor Greg Wilson on Tuesday said council was asked to vote on holding a public meeting or whether to immediate re-engage in negotiations with the firefighters association but decided against. Wilson added any discussion about the role of the chief is a human resources issue that is prohibited from being discussed publicly.
“There is therefore no point in furthering discussion with the firefighters,” Wilson said in response to an inquiry from tbnewswatch.
Dryden chief administrative officer Ernie Remillard earlier this month issued a statement that the city supported Murrell.
Firefighters association spokesman Darren Trist told council the volunteers can’t serve under Murrell, who had been hired to the position last August. The firefighters last week alleged Murrell changed the locks to the fire hall.
“We need a fire chief that goes to war with us, not against us,” Trist said.
The dispute stemmed from a new alcohol policy passed last year by Dryden council banning alcohol from all municipal buildings without proper permitting approval.
Trist said on Feb. 10 that four police officers, accompanied by Murrell and Remillard, came to the fire hall to inspect the association room. But three members were fired as a result of what Trist has described as a “verbal argument in a non-workplace while off-duty.”
“They had no reason to fire anybody,” Trist said on Tuesday. “They had no evidence of any wrongdoing and we were fully compliant.”
The 36 volunteer firefighters that manned Dryden’s Fire Hall No. 1 suspended their service in February as a result of those three firefighters not being reinstated. The city sent the protesting firefighters with an intent to return to work letter earlier this month, with an ultimatum to resume service or be terminated.
“The city is moving on but hoping some firefighters may reconsider their views on alcohol consumption at the Fire Hall and reapply,” Wilson said.
Trist, who provided a written copy of his presentation to city council, said it was not an easy decision for the firefighters to suspend service and are aware of the risk to the public.
“To say we reached this decision over a beer fridge is beyond insulting and to us, it’s just one more piece of evidence of how much you take us for granted,” Trist said.
In the subsequent weeks, the city hired four contract professional firefighters and solidified mutual aid agreements with Oxdrift and Wabigoon for the outlying municipalities to provide assistance to enhance coverage.
The standoff has not affected Dryden’s No. 2 Fire Hall, located in the former Barclay township.
“I believe our current fire coverage is sufficient but can be improved upon,” Wilson said. “Our chief wants to get new and any returning applicants signed up and trained where needed so we can be more than sufficient.
Trist said the city is currently “hilariously undermanned” and referenced the 2015 Christmas Day fire at a Queen Street business where nearly 50 firefighters, including the mutual aid areas, were required to contain and extinguish the blaze.
“There’s no way, absolutely no way they can handle a major incident without the neighbour’s house and the one after that going up,” Trist said. “It’s going to be a tragedy when it happens. When, not if.”
