Esquimalt firefight heads into court

[five_alarm]

VICTORIA, BC - Victoria firefighters and Esquimalt Mayor Darwin Robinson have asked B.C. Supreme Court to settle a dispute over comments Robinson made after two fires in Vic West and Esquimalt. The comments referred to the response time of the Victoria firefighters. Richard Farrell, president of the Victoria Fire Fighters Association, has filed suit against Robinson on behalf of 105 firefighters employed by Victoria.

Source: Times Colonist (Victoria) (http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=19b039f0-918f-4441-8229-8064cfb8bb50&s=&linkid=250&parent=news)

[five_alarm]

ESQUIMALT, BC - Esquimalt and Victoria have agreed on an out-of-court settlement to resolve a legal dispute over the aborted amalgamation of the two municipal fire departments. Victoria had taken Esquimalt to court to seek costs for eight firefighters hired as part of a plan for Victoria to take over firefighting in the town. After that plan was overturned by a new Esquimalt council in December 2002, the eight firefighters sued Victoria for wrongful dismissal.
Source: Times Colonist (Victoria) (http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=8e3406a7-b744-40d7-9b85-2ebc7958fefd&linkid=309&parent=news(headlines)&)

[five_alarm]

VICTORIA, BC - Victoria and Esquimalt closed the book on a three-year-old quarrel this week, moving to reinstate a mutual aid agreement that was cancelled after a failed bid to unite the Victoria and Esquimalt fire departments. At Thursday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, Victoria city councillors unanimously supported a recommendation from Fire Chief Richard Couch to restore the agreement as soon as possible.

In an interview Friday, Mayor Alan Lowe said relations between the two municipal governments have improved since then Esquimalt mayor Darwin Robinson and a handful of his council allies were defeated in November's civic elections. "There's a new fire chief and a new mayor and council and much more of a sense of co-operation," Lowe said. "We want to ensure that people have the best possible firefighting service. It's time to let bygones be bygones."

Source: vicnews.com (http://www.vicnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=36&cat=23&id=594741&more=)

[firefighter26]

good job! glad to see the two FDs trying to put it behind them and start the ball going for working together for the better of the public and their safety.