A firefighter resigned today because, he said, “I no longer wish to stay aboard the sinking ship.” Photo by Robert Coleburn
Is it a money problem or a management problem?
CVFRS faces allegations of workplace bias and mismanagement
By Chea Waters Evans
Trevor Denton, a lifelong Charlotter, has been a volunteer firefighter with Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue for over a decade—until his resignation this morning. In an email sent to fire department colleagues, as well as members of the organization’s corporate board, Denton wrote, “This Department is bound to fail on its current course and I no longer wish to stay aboard the sinking ship.”
In Selectboard budget discussions over the past few weeks, CVFRS Corporate Board President Fritz Tegatz and Business Operations Manager Patrice Machavern have requested more taxpayer money for the coming year’s budget, citing a competitive job market and COVID-related worker shortages as reasons why they need more funds for pay increases, as well as money for a new business manager. Denton’s letter, however, supports accounts from multiple other sources who say the workplace culture and work environment at the fire station is also a significant factor in CVFRS’s inability to hire and retain employees and volunteers.
Denton told The Charlotte Bridge in an interview that he has let his firefighter certification lapse and that he hasn’t worked a shift at CVFRS in over a year because of “poor leadership” and because the value of serving as a firefighter isn’t worth the problems that accompany working there.
“It doesn’t really feel like I want to be there,” Denton said. “I’m sick of all the drama; it’s ridiculous.” Denton’s resignation comes on the heels of two full-time paramedics’ resignations this week, which left the rescue department with only one full-time employee.
In his resignation letter, which was obtained by The Charlotte Bridge, Denton wrote, “In the ten years or so I have been part of this organization I have witnessed highs and lows in moral[e], leadership, and the organization as a whole. The last two years I have taken a step back as things have, in my opinion become less than ‘professional.’
“I have been ashamed of the way this organization has been run in the last several years and for me this is not only a perfect example of what is wrong. It is also my final breaking point. A volunteer fire department is not a place for self involved drama, turning people against each other and stabbing your brothers in the back. This Department is bound to fail on its current course and I no longer wish to stay aboard the sinking ship. So please take this as not only my formal resignation letter but also as a formal complaint to the corporate board that the poor leadership has driven me away.”
One example of questionable leadership, Denton said, is Fire Chief Dick St. George’s flexible application of rules and procedure based on nepotism and favoritism. In an account of an incident which was corroborated by other sources who wish to remain anonymous because they fear retaliation or consequences at their place of employment, Denton described a dangerous moment when one of St. George’s relatives responded to a call. (Dick’s son Devin St. George is Battalion Chief at CVFRS and his son Derrick is a firefighter, among other family members who work and volunteer there.)
After Denton responded to a motor vehicle accident on a snowy, icy day, he said the other firefighter, who said he “better not” name, “was coming up on the scene, going way too fast for the conditions. The roads were glare ice. He wasn’t supposed to be responding with lights or sirens, but they let it go because of who it was. He hit a telephone pole, not hard, but he had an incident, and I looked at our Battalion Chief Devon St. George and said, ‘You know, that could have been us.’ He didn’t seem to care about what happened.”
Denton said he was “irritated quite a bit” that the responder who hit the telephone pole was under 18 yet allowed to use sirens and lights on his truck, despite the fact that he was a probationary member and was not permitted to do so under fire department guidelines. He said that his complaint to board president Tegatz was dismissed because the firefighter in question was a relative of the St. George family.
In addition to safety concerns, other members of the department, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on personnel matters, said that the general atmosphere at the fire station is “unpleasant” and that it’s difficult to retain fire and rescue personnel in such an environment. They allege infighting, favoritism in shift assignments, and enforcement of station and fire and rescue protocols varying based on individual relationships within the organization.
The fire and rescue department is funded from both taxpayer money and private donations; it is a nonprofit private corporation that contracts with the town to provide fire and rescue services. CVFRS is run by a corporate board of directors.
Selectboard Chair Jim Faulkner is the board’s liaison to CVFRS and until a year or so ago was a rescue volunteer. He said that the Selectboard is aware of the discord at CVFRS and that the board’s concern is that the department isn’t meeting its obligations to the town. “They manage themselves,” Faulkner said in an interview. “The Selectboard does not have much authority over their management. There’s a thing called a memorandum of agreement; if you go through that, you’re going to find out that CVFRS has not been in compliance. That’s where the Selectboard can step in.”
“That’s just about where we are,” Faulkner continued. “It will be necessary for the Selectboard to take a more active role. In that document, it shows what the responsibilities of CVFRS are and the responsibilities of the town. Unfortunately, a lot of those items in that memorandum have not been followed. The Selectboard is concerned about the situation and is investigating what our next steps should be.”
“I don’t see anything changing unless something happens,” Denton said. Tegatz did not immediately respond to questions and requests for comment.
And here’s a note from one of our founders:
Hi. It's Christina Asquith, one of the co-founders of the Charlotte Bridge. This month, I'm stepping away from all my roles at The Bridge because I've joined town government, as one of 5 volunteer members of the Development Review Board (DRB), which Chea will be reporting on. The DRB's role is to review development proposals in Charlotte, and decide if they are in accordance with the town's regulations. With dozens of homes being proposed for development in Charlotte, the future of our town is being decided by the DRB this year, and I volunteered to ensure all perspectives in town are represented and support efforts for transparent government. If you have any questions about the DRB, or would like to learn more, please email me directly at Christinaasquith@gmail.com
I thank Chea and the Charlotte Bridge cofounders for all their work keeping the town informed with fact-checked, reliable journalism, and I look forward to reading future stories.
Christina
Chea, thank you so much for the excellent reporting. It does seem like there is a lot more to uncover about the state of the CVFRS. Per the recent FPF posts, I would be very eager to learn more about the way the CVFRS seem to have been stonewalling Mary Mead regarding expenditures. Also, am I the only person taken aback to learn that it is such a family operation?
"(Dick’s son Devin St. George is Battalion Chief at CVFRS and his son Derrick is a firefighter, among other family members who work and volunteer there.)" I am curious to know how many "other family members" are part of the department and in what ways that kind of staffing might impact the overall cohesion of the fire and rescue squad. Thanks again for all your work!