Beaconsfield Volunteer Rescue Squad resigns

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

As of yesterday morning, seven new city-appointed members took over the duties of the Beaconsfield Volunteer Rescue Squad (BVRS) following the group’s resignation at Monday night’s public council meeting.

Nearly the entire team was in attendance as active BVRS technical advisor Gordon Routley presented Beaconsfield Mayor Bob Benedetti and council with the squad’s letters of resignation, along with training videos provided to them by the city.

“We don’t need them anymore,” Routley said.

According to Routley, BVRS members unanimously voted to resign from their duties following about one to one and a half years of problems with the municipal administration.

Routley alluded to the recently released Léger Marketing public opinion poll — which indicated public works, environmental protection, and the nature park in Angell woods as the top three priorities for Beaconsfield residents — and pointed out that while citizens seemed to be generally satisfied with the city, they gave the quality of decisions made by council a below-average grade.

“You don’t listen,” Routley said. “When a volunteer organization says they have a problem, the city comes back saying it’s their fault.”

Routley cited bureaucracy and problems accessing resources as the BVRS’s main grievances. While the city allocates $57,000 annually to the BVRS, the squad never had direct access to it. Instead, Routley said, they had to go through the urban planning department and the director general to obtain permission to buy new equipment and get access to the three BVRS vehicles. This “micromanagement” is what caused the problems, Routley said.

“That’s the sort of thing we were running into,” he added. “We needed to get permission to use the equipment. We didn’t just have the keys anymore.”

In response, Benedetti said he was disappointed at the BVRS’s resignation and thanked them for their years of service.

“I regret that they have done this. They have chosen not to serve the City of Beaconsfield anymore. That’s their choice,” he said, adding the service will still be available to Beaconsfielders with the seven new members appointed to fill in for the former squad. “They are qualified. They’re not, perhaps, as qualified as the previous members. But they are qualified.”

Formed in 2000 as a result of the 1998 ice storm, the BVRS was made up of a group of about 15 active specially trained volunteers, as well as a number of part-time members. The squad would, among other things, pump out flooded basements, help clean up immediate dangers from fallen trees and assist with downed power lines, provide water rescue and marine assistance, as well as search and rescue on land and water. They were also present at many municipal events, such as Canada Day celebrations, sports events and the Beaurepaire Village street fair, to provide emergency services when needed.

According to Benedetti, the problems between the city and BVRS were because of accountability issues.

“They just didn’t want to be accountable. If I want something, I have to tell an accountant what I need it for. We asked them to account for that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t,” Benedetti said, adding, for example, squad members would take the trucks “out of town” on weekends without saying where. He also said the BVRS did in fact have access to the vehicles’ keys. “I think we should know where our trucks are going. I think this came about because we have a different vision than they do.”

According to Benedetti, a Lakeshore Volunteer Rescue Squad – that could include Ste. Anne de Bellevue and Senneville – is currently in the works, and will include the seven new members instated this week.

Routley said that, while the BVRS did write a number of letters and tried to negotiate with the city, the talks led nowhere.

“They’re view of running the city is, you do what you’re told,” Routley said, adding eliminating the middle-man and having the BVRS report directly to council could have potentially solved the problems. “The satisfaction from doing the job was outweighed by the frustration.”

While they will not be working in Beaconsfield anymore, Routley said the squad will continue to meet and hopes to provide their services elsewhere in the near future.

“The members of the team are very disappointed, but they were very frustrated,” he said. “We’ll be staying together. I’m confident that we’ll be attached to another city quite quickly.”

The Beaconsfield Volunteer Rescue Squad is still available at 514-630-1234.