by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
WHITEWATER REGION – A day after he tendered his resignation as chief of the Whitewater Region fire department, Wayne Heubner spent the afternoon with his wife Betty and two grandchildren at Logos Land.
“It’s time to start winding down,” Mr. Heubner said Tuesday evening. “I want to spend more time with Betty and the grandchildren. Betty and I like to travel. I want to spend more time at the cottage. It’s the time to do it. I’m 67 years old, I want to slow down.”
Mr. Heubner resigned as chief and Mike Moore resigned as deputy-chief on Monday. While it may seem like a sudden departure for Mr. Heubner, he doesn’t see it that way.
“Off and on for one-and-a-half years I’ve been saying I’m going to give notice,” he said. “I was going (to retire) at the end of the year. The workload was increasing significantly.
“I was grooming Mike for succession.”
At a special meeting held Monday, July 24, council received the notice of the retirement of the chief and resignation of the deputy-fire chief. A meeting was held Monday evening with the volunteer firefighters to inform them of the changes and the office of the fire marshal and emergency management were also notified.
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Tremblay said there are two other deputy chiefs, Terry Moore and Roy Church, who took over when the chief and deputy-chief were away and a captain at each station.
At the Monday night meeting, “There was no expression of not being able to continue to keep everyone safe,” he said. “The questions were more on what’s going to happen over the next few days.”
Senior staff and council are reviewing options for an acting chief to ensure continuity in leadership during the transition and it’s expected an appointment will be forthcoming.
CAO Tremblay said the safety of the residents of the township remains a priority.
“The township is committed to the safety of Whitewater Region through continued effective delivery of emergency services,” he said. “We thank emergency services personnel for their work as well as their co-operation throughout the planning process and transition in leadership.”
It was also noted that the fire department is undergoing a review by Dillon Consultants which would provide a long-term plan for fire services in Whitewater Region. Consultation sessions were held with volunteers at each of the five stations last week.
It’s expected the review will be presented to council this fall. Mr. Tremblay said council has been educated on the role of council regarding the fire department and there has been some preliminary feedback from the firefighters.
“It was a surprise they (Mr. Heubner and Mr. Moore) made the decision,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, they provided notice and council thanked them for their many years of service.”
He noted he and treasurer Marsha Hawthorne met with Mr. Heubner last Thursday, July 20, and he indicated then he was contemplating a date for retirement.
“We met with Mike on Monday at 1 o’clock and he gave us his resignation,” CAO Tremblay said. “Wayne then decided to leave the same time as the deputy-chief.”
Whitewater Region Mayor Hal Johnson said this was not a decision he was expecting.
“We started the Master Plan and the consultants interviewed everyone on the fire department,” he said. “After that point, the retirement and resignation happened.”
He said the consultants have been advising that there will be a “phenomenal amount of paperwork and added responsibilities” for the chief.
“These are only part-time guys and they’re already overworked,” the mayor said of the former chief and deputy-chief. “They’ve kept the municipality safe for 17 years. Maybe they want more time for their families and themselves.”
While Mayor Johnson said he’s not sure why this happened at this time, he did say, “There has been some nasty stuff (posted) on facebook. I’m not sure if it’s been hurtful to them.”
A master plan review should have been occurring every 10 years, he said.
“It’s only fair to all our people that they know if we’re doing the correct things,” Mayor Johnson said.
There have been master plan reviews with the last council and “nothing was done.
“But that’s history. We’re in the present and we want the best we can have for our township.”
He said the two top bosses “could’ve stayed and worked with the consultants, no one was pushing them out. It’s they’re choice. They’ve made the decision to walk away with their heads held high. When a door opens, you have to look inside.”
Mr. Heubner has been chief for about 20 years. He was chief of the former Cobden Fire Department and then one of four chiefs of Whitewater Region, prior to becoming the sole chief. Previous to that, he was a firefighter at the Milverton fire department for just under six years.
“It’s a challenge to be a chief,” he said. “It’s changed over the years. There are a lot more responsibilities.”
Mr. Heubner said he enjoyed being the chief, but now is the time to leave.
“There are lots of capable, good people on the Whitewater fire department,” he said. “I’m very proud of our department. They are a bunch of great individuals. People will step up to the plate.”
Whitewater News was not able to contact Mr. Moore. However, he was chief at the Beachburg Fire Department prior to amalgamation and it’s believed he joined the fire department sometime in 1982 or 1983.
