Majority of Victoria volunteer firefighters resign amid ongoing spat with municipal council

A rural Newfoundland volunteer fire chief has walked off the job, along with over 80 per cent of his crew, after a spat with the Victoria, N.L. municipal council in Conception Bay North.

Fire Chief Justin Parsons, along with 20 of the 24 firefighters, resigned on Tuesday in front of a large crowd of concerned residents, who shouted their frustrations at Mayor Barry Dooley.

Both Parsons and Dooley have opposing arguments that relate to a heritage property in the town — a replica fire hall that houses an out of commission truck, all under the care of a heritage committee. 

The town is accusing Parsons of breaking and entering on the property in May following a major wildfire in nearby Adam's Cove, which his department responded to. 

Parsons said keys to the truck and the building it's housed in were given to both the fire department and the town's heritage society. After the fire, he said, firefighters were in search of a better portable water pump and decided to check inside the old truck.

Parsons said the key broke off in the lock at the time, and as a result he removed the lock entirely, replaced it and gave a new key to the heritage society.

That's when the relationship took a turn.

A week after, Parsons said, the town sent him a letter to his personal email address, accusing him of breaking and entering.

"They said 'You had no business down there,'" Parsons told CBC News. "They're saying 'You broke in and cut the lock off and changed the lock.' I did nothing wrong.… You can't just accuse me of stuff. It's not right."

The town requested he admit to wrongdoing and formally apologize to council at the next public meeting on July 7. Parsons refused, which led to his departure from the fire staff on Tuesday.

Tensions ran high outside of the firehall on Tuesday afternoon.  

"You don't want to hear the truth? Because the truth is coming out today," Dooley told Kathy Parsons, the former fire chief's mother, in front of a restless crowd.

Kathy Parsons fired back.

"Don't you hush me. I don't care what you're going to do. I'm not giving you no time," she shouted. "It's time for you and all the councillors, and everybody up there, to go.... You've been nothing but a bully to my son."