Municipality of Pontiac fire chief Kevin Mansey handed in his resignation on Monday afternoon, ending his sixteen-year career with the fire department.

Mansey joined the brigade in 2006. After rising to the rank of captain he was made director of the fire department, also known as the fire chief, early in 2020.

On receiving news of his resignation, THE EQUITY reached out to . . .

Mr. Mansey who confirmed he would be leaving the department in July but provided no explanation for his departure.

Mansey’s exit comes amid complaints levied by current and former firefighters regarding the council’s management of the department.

In May, THE EQUITY reported that four firefighters with the municipal brigade – two current and two former staff members – alleged that the council has repeatedly prevented the fire chief from making needed improvements, citing as examples the shortage of supervisors, ladders that aren’t long enough, outdated equipment and a lack of water at one of the fire stations.

The article quoted MoP Mayor Roger Larose responding to the allegations. “The council is there to support the fire department 100 per cent, but the only thing is that you have to follow the rules,” he said.

Recently-appointed Acting Director-General Mario Allen joined the mayor in defending the council’s actions, saying they were not worried about the current state of the fire department and are working on addressing some of the issues it is facing.

Following publication of THE EQUITY article, however, the municipal council issued a letter to the former firefighters demanding, on threat of possible legal action, that they withdraw their claims. Neither has.

THE EQUITY has since learned that the well at Fire Station #1 in Breckenridge has been deepened but, as of last week, the pump had not been connected, leaving the station without water to wash equipment, refill the water truck or even operate a functioning washroom in the building.

With respect to the concern about ladders, the firefighters claimed that the department has only one 30-foot ladder, which means that in situations where firefighters are on the roof of a two-storey building, they have only one way off, not two as required by regulation.

According to additional sources who have contacted THE EQUITY – people familiar with the situation but whose names have been withheld because they are unauthorized to speak publicly – the shortage of qualified supervisory staff and up-to-date equipment remain as concerns.

The fire chief’s resignation is the fifth from the municipal fire department in the past six months and comes just one month after the departure of MoP Director-General Pierre Said in early May.

THE EQUITY reached out to the mayor for comment but had not received a reply by press time.

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