CAREER FIREFIGHTERS
Survey only for career firefighters; CBRM hires private legal firm to conduct review
CBRM hires private legal firm to conduct workplace review.
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality has hired a private legal firm to conduct a workplace review of its career firefighters.
All fire service employees will receive a survey later this month, according to an internal memo.
Ontario-based company Bernardi Human Resource Law will be conducting the investigation.
The CBRM says the surveys will be confidential.
Described as having a 33-year career in human resources, Patrick Fradley-Davis will be the lead investigator, conducting the review.
He is also expected to randomly select employees for interviews later this month.
Several volunteer firefighters told the Post they received the memo and were expecting to take part in the engagement process.
But as municipal lawyer Demetri Kachafanas noted Friday, the unpaid volunteers were sent the message in error.
“We’re just doing an internal review of the service. It’s an HR review and it’s basically a confidential matter,” Kachafanas said Friday.
Asked if volunteers will undergo their own review in relation to fire service planning, Kachafanas said that has not yet been determined.
A CBRM career firefighter, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisal from his employer, said the probe is not without its flaws.
“We wanted everyone to have an interview,” he said. “That way, management could not single anyone out.
“Hopefully, when the firm gets the surveys back they will opt to open up the interview process.”
Kachafanas would not speculate on costs or what is driving the municipal inquiry. He said he doesn’t expect to see any changes to the upcoming investigation.
“We’re just working with a process that the consultant in his field suggested … (it’s a) standard process in how you do these things and that’s what we’re using.”
Kachafanas said it is also unclear when the CBRM will be notified of the firm’s findings.
Members of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 2779, which represents 63 career firefighters in the CBRM, issued a motion of non-confidence in April.
Among the union’s complaints are safety problems, lack of training, bullying and harassment, inconsistent policies, a lack of transparency, inadequate gear and pay problems.
Ninety-four per cent of the union’s membership attended the vote, with 90 per cent in favour of a motion that acknowledges a distrust in the fire management team.
Career firefighters are joined in their condemnation of CBRM management by the Cape Breton Regional Fire Chiefs Association, which issued a similar motion in March after becoming fed up with their exclusion from talks surrounding volunteer departments.
The group of mostly volunteers said it has provided millions in free services to the municipality and has a right to be involved in service planning.
“If the issues that the volunteers have raised are going to be ignored by CBRM staff, and the focus to be just on the career side, then it is time for the elected officials to step in and correct this situation as they are ultimately responsible for the fire service in CBRM,” said association acting chair Jeff Aucoin.
“It appears from our vantage point that CBRM staff are only focused on rectifying issues that they are obligated to while not listening to the volunteers.”
Chief of the Scotchtown volunteer fire department, Ray Eksal, said he received an email regarding the review but did not realize it was sent to him by accident.
“The volunteers haven’t really been informed as to what’s going on,” he said.
“We’re still sort of in the dark. The career (firefighters) are going to be dealt with and again the volunteers are going to be overlooked.”
Eksal said the group’s frustration with CBRM administration is largely sparked by being excluded from talks surrounding the volunteer departments.
He said the status quo will remain if the CBRM continues to ignore input from its volunteers.