Fire chief thanks ‘heroic’ firefighters
Too little too late, says disgruntled men as complaints grow
IN THE wake of firefighters complaining about being overworked, Cape Town’s fire chief Ian Schnetler has thanked firefighters for their commitment to keeping the Cape safe.
“It is with deep disappointment that despite all the praise, and in some circumstances heroic efforts of our staff, there is negativity displayed by some staff members who have indicated they have been treated like dogs,” Schnetler’s internal note to his crews read.
“They have done so by making public statements before discussing it internally. A very inward looking and disgruntled staff member/group of staff members indeed.” But the letter has been met with scepticism by some, who say it is too little too late.
In a letter to the Cape Argus, more firefighters claim the note of thanks was “halfhearted” and only prompted by the reports of disgruntled firefighters.
A firefighter’s wife, who declined to be named for fear of being victimised, said the crews were seen as “a thorn in the fire chief ’s side”.
“It is always frustrating for a lot of the guys because it’s their passion,” she said. “It is absolutely true what the other firefighter said about them being treated like dogs because I’ve seen it from the inside looking on. A lot of them try their best, but it is very frustrating. I can assure you that any complaints would fall on deaf ears, especially if these had to be channelled through the chief.”
Yet more firefighters came forward to complain about the treatment they receive.
“That e-mail wouldn’t have been sent if there wasn’t an article. The reality is that he first had to say ‘thank you’ before he put in that end part of the guys going to the paper. He couldn’t just send a direct service notice talking about the disgruntled firefighters. It’s more a case of buttering the guys up before reprimanding them in the same mail.”
He said that without the public’s support, their job would be impossible. “When we start screaming for refreshments, all the food and refreshments we get come from the public. If is wasn’t for the public, we’d starve at these fires. The attitude is we must shut up and be grateful.”
In the note dated January 19, Schnetler dealt with the complaints further: “Besides this/these disgruntled staff member/s, I have encountered only positivity from all the staff members and teams I have encountered at these fires.”