LONG SAULT – Unvaccinated firefighters in South Stormont will be able to return to the job later this month without ever getting the shot.
The eight firefighters – seven at the St. Andrews West station and one at the Newington station – were granted the ability to go to an “inactive” status for six months.
There are roughly 96 volunteer firefighters at the four South Stormont stations, meaning it’s less than 9 per cent of the firefighting workforce.
But some on council Wednesday afternoon were not comfortable with the fact they’ll have to wait that long or happy they would have to follow the Ontario regulations. The firefighters will be able to return, if they want to, because rules around municipal safety plans and screening of staff will be gone on March 21.
“I’m not receiving this well,” Deputy Mayor David Smith said. “Firefighters are an essential service. I, for one, if I’m in a rollover and a firefighter approached me, I’m not going to ask him for his vaccine passport before he starts working on me. I think we have to rescind that and put them to work immediately, get them back on the payroll.”
Smith argued briefly with Chief Administrative Officer Debi LucasSwitzer, who said she can’t rescind safety plans required by Ontario regulations until March 21. “I appreciate that – I have to follow the legislation,” she said.
Mayor Bryan McGillis agreed with Smith.
“I agree. I think our firefighters should get back to work as soon as possible. Lot of people think that these vaccines, people are still getting the COVID, which we were told we weren’t going to get it and also we were not going to spread it, which we do. People that got vaccines had COVID more than once in some cases. I think we should open it up now. I think our bodies now, our immune systems are stronger.” the mayor said.
“I guess we’ll have to wait ’till the 21st but then things will change again. Hopefully nothing will change to the negative,” McGillis chuckled.
Fire Chief Gilles Crepeau says he “understand(s) the frustration with council and the volunteer firefighters that want to get back to work who are not vaccinated” but it was “imperative” the township follow the legislation and it was “only a couple of more weeks.”