Questions but no answers yet on Fire Chief's status

Craig Bakay | Sep 12, 2019

Central Frontenac Council rearranged its agenda for its regular meeting Tuesday (September 10) in Sharbot Lake to accommodate its lawyer, who was present for an in-camera session in the middle of the meeting to discuss two matters subject to solicitor-client privilege.

But Council also moved a delegation by Janice Morrow up in the agenda because, Mayor Frances Smith said it may have some bearing on what they were about to discuss in closed session.

Morrow introduced herself as the spouse of a District 4 fire captain and acknowledged that she had initiated an online petition for the removal of Fire Chief Greg Robinson.

“I started that petition to raise awareness of the Fire Chief’s lack of capability, skill and professionalism,” she said. “We also have several questions we’d like answers to by the next meeting (which will be in Piccadilly Hall).”

The questions were:

• • Is there an Acting Fire Chief at the moment?
• • Is the vehicle that’s part of the Chief’s contract parked at a Township facility since he’s on leave?
• • How many firefighters have taken leaves of absence or resigned since Robinson took over as chief?
• • Can we get a review of the fire department budget? and
• • Can a panel of firefighters be on a panel that does such a review?

“I can answer one of those right now,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “Jamie’s (Riddell) Deputy Chief and he’s definitely acting right now.”When Council went into closed session, a firefighter at the meeting, speaking under a condition of anonymity because, he said Robinson had expressly forbidden firefighters to go to Council meetings, said that Robinson had told firefighters he was suffering from Lyme disease.

Questions about the Fire Chief have been swirling ever since his pickup truck was reported stolen late on August 10 or early on August 11, from a resort in Prince Edward County. The truck turned up at the township office within hours of being reported stolen, and was then vandalised with an axe, leading to an intense police response in Sharbot Lake on the afternoon of August 11. While an arrest has been made for the vandalism, the OPP have not commented on their on-going investigation into the theft for over a month.