Both Chatham-Kent (CK) Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Case and Assistant Chief Dan Parent have been formally condemned by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
The decision was made at the 58th IAFF Convention, where over 2,000 delegates unanimously approved a resolution censuring the two CK fire officials.
According to the IAFF, a censure resolution represents one of the union's strongest public rebukes of fire service leadership.
"Chatham-Kent firefighters have tried repeatedly to work with Chief Case and Assistant Chief Parent to address the challenges facing their members and the community they serve. But good-faith efforts have been resisted time and again," said IAFF 13th District Vice President Fred LeBlanc. "The actions of the Chief and Assistant Chief have left firefighters with no choice but to ensure the public and elected leaders know they have lost confidence in the department’s leadership."
The resolution comes several months after 97 per cent of CK IAFF Local 486 members voted that they had "no confidence" in Case's leadership, and 99 per cent said they had also lost confidence in Parent.
The Local 486 Union filed a complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Labour back in March, after local firefighters raised concerns for years about inadequate training and equipment, specifically for swift-water rescues. According to the IAFF, union members have allegedly faced further retaliation from department leadership since filing the complaint.
CK News Today has reached out to CK Fire and Rescue, the municipality, and Local 486 for comment and will provide updates when more information is available.
The IAFF says there are 15 ongoing grievances challenging the CK department's conduct.
