Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/10/2017 (1067 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Editorial

You know the old saying: where there’s smoke... a firefighter ought to know something’s amiss.

That isn’t exactly how the oft-repeated folk wisdom is usually worded, but it’s a better fit in relation to what happened recently at a Winnipeg fire hall, which suggests there’s a smouldering problem with the way the local firefighting service is being managed and manipulated.

On its surface, the report last week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid an "impromptu" visit on July 28 to one of Winnipeg’s busiest fire stations, is Osborne Village, would be nothing more than a photo op and a good-news story. The fact it became public during a labour arbitration between the city’s ambulance paramedics and civic administration has the potential to make it something else entirely.

Winnipeg’s paramedics are pursuing a complaint against Fire Paramedic Chief John Lane. Relations between firefighters and paramedics have long been toxic, and the union claims the chief contributed to a disrespectful workplace with comments at a 2015 firefighters convention that "belittled and demeaned" paramedics.

The arbitration process continues, but the issue of the visit was introduced into the hearing to illustrate how firefighters actively disrespect their paramedic colleagues. At issue was the fact paramedics were not invited to take part in the prime minister’s lunchtime drop-in.

The hurt feelings over this celebrity-visit slight will heal, no doubt. But the visit itself has created an ember of controversy that threatens to erupt into a five-alarm public relations conflagration.

During the arbitration hearing, Mr. Lane — the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service’s (WFPS) top-ranking officer — stated he had no involvement in arranging the prime minister’s visit to a fire hall under his command, and added that he did not learn about the event until after the fact. Instead, the visit by Mr. Trudeau seems to have been orchestrated by United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg (UFFW) president Alex Forrest.

A report on UFFW’s website gave Mr. Forrest credit for planning the event and added that other union executive members were also on hand. "It was an honour to host the sitting prime minister at the hall," the website said.

When questioned by reporters who learned of the visit at the hearing, Mr. Forrest seemed eager to distance himself from potential controversy.

"The prime minister’s visit was an informal drop by the fire hall like any person can do in Winnipeg," he said in an email. "Many people visit fire halls without the knowledge of the chief."

Given the security requirements associated with prime ministerial visits, it seems likely that the UFFW website’s description of a carefully planned visit is the more accurate version.

And if that’s the case, Mr. Forrest has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that he operates beyond the reach of even the most senior WFPS officials, and feels comfortable taking over an entire fire station for what amounts to a public relations exercise for the firefighters union.

Oddly, the Prime Minister’s Office refused to offer any explanation about how the fire hall visit was organized.

Explanations are owed, however, to Winnipeg taxpayers. Mr. Lane and Mr. Forrest should be compelled to provide them.

Why doesn’t the chief know when one of his stations is effectively taken out of service for a photo op? And what makes the firefighters union boss think WFPS assets should be made available to entertain his every political whim?

There’s smoke, all right. And the power-wielding firefighter bosses should start checking for signs of heat.