Very little is known publicly about a vote that took place at the Bonnyville Fire Department Dec. 21 that resulted in the ousting of fire chief Steve Wojcik and deputy chief James Sharun.
Veiled in secrecy are details of who was present, how many people voted, how the idea was brought forward and whether notice was given about the vote.
What is known is the group of volunteer firefighters who walked out over safety concerns, including Sharun and Wojcik, were not present at the meeting (despite being asked to return). Both Sharun and Wojcik had been asked by the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) board to wait before going back to the fire hall.
Regional fire chief Brian McEvoy would not comment on the vote.
It seems as though this information will not become public until the board's scheduled meeting Jan. 27. Even that is not a guarantee.
The desire of the firefighters on both sides of this controversial issue and members of the community to put an end to the unrest within the fire department is clearly understandable.
But keeping matters of public record so secretive is only creating more unrest. The vote might have helped rebuild the department, but its secretive nature undermines it.
While BRFA members might want to stay clear of this seemingly internal issue, clearly the department needs some guidance on how to proceed.
Documentation of the vote must not remain a secret. The public has the right to know.
Not commenting and allowing rumour and innuendo to spread throughout the community is misguided policy.
When the regional fire chief won't discuss a crucial vote affecting the short-term and long-term future of the local fire service, something is seriously wrong.
It's time for some tough questions to be answered, some leadership to emerge, the bickering to stop and time to get back to a functioning, effective fire service for the people of Bonnyville and area.
Anything less is unacceptable.
