Article contentOn Saturday members of the Joggins Volunteer Fire Department found the three trucks gone from their hall and a letter on a table saying their registration to operate had been revoked.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“The effect of the non-registration is that the Joggins Volunteer Fire Department is no longer a fire department with the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, will no longer receive call outs, and the apparatus and equipment belonging to the municipality will be repositioned to other fire departments,” reads the letter signed by Greg Herrett, chief administration for Cumberland.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentThe letter went on to say that the River Hebert Volunteer Fire Department, about a seven minute drive away, will take over responsibility for the Joggins Fire District.Article contentThe move comes about a week after both chief, Chris St.Peter, and the deputy chief of the Joggins department were involved in a dispute unrelated to their duties that led to police being called. Council held two meetings that weren’t open to the public over the past week to discuss the decision.Article contentCounty Warden Rod Gilroy said that council had received a staff report stating that there were charges laid, but that the decision to remove the department’s registration to operate was reached due to “a number of different concerns.” The Chronicle Herald was not able to confirm on Sunday whether there were any charges laid in relation to the incident.Article contentCouncil held two meetings that weren’t open to the public over the past week to discuss the decision. Former Joggins chief John Reid, meanwhile, called the closure a “kick in the gut.” He acknowledged the incident with the former chief and deputy chief and said both had agreed to take leaves of abscence from their positions.Article contentArticle content“They should have had the decency to come down here and talk to us,” said Reid, who’s been on the department for four decades, nearly half of it as a chief.Article contentGilroy was sticking to his guns on Sunday.Article content“We have a duty to protect the citizens of the County and uphold the integrity of the fire service,” said Gilroy.Article content“If they’re out on a call and doing things not up to speed 100 per cent, that falls back on (Council).”Article contentA press release sent out shortly after the trucks were taken by the County pointed to an engineer’s report finding the hall to be “an unsafe and inappropriate building from which to provide fire services. The leadership of the Joggins Fire Department has been determined to be incapable of managing the department in an appropriate manner due to training and technical competency deficiencies and numerous examples of misconduct and poor judgement.” The Joggins Volunteer Fire Department is registered as a society with the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies. The three fire trucks belonged to the County, though some of the equipment on them belonged to the society.
Joggins Fire Department shut by Cumberland County after council deems its leadership ‘incapable’
