Firefighter’s exit might indicate further changes to come
Chea Waters Evans
Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services employee Rob Mullin was let go from the department on Tuesday evening by the organization’s corporate board. Mullin, who was previously deputy fire chief and then demoted last September, was with CVFRS for almost 8 years.
When reached for comment, Mullin said “Yes, I’ve been terminated,” but declined to speak further on the matter. Referring to his termination letter, he said, “I was told in writing that I can’t discuss it.”
Selectboard Chair Jim Faulkner wrote in an email to The Charlotte Bridge that though CVFRS is funded by the taxpayers, it is a private nonprofit corporation, and therefore the Selectboard has no authority to make managerial, operational, or financial decisions, “although this is something the Selectboard is interested in changing through mutually agreeable amendments to the existing memorandum of agreement between CVFRS and the Town of Charlotte.”
“The Selectboard is currently engaged in tracking these operational issues at CVFRS with Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration, District 3 [Charlotte’s emergency medical district in Vermont], and the CVFRS Corporate Board. Unfortunately, the current MOA does not authorize the Town of Charlotte to have any decision-making ability in these respects, which has prompted the Selectboard to draft proposed amendments to the MOA that would remedy this limitation in the future,” he wrote.
“The Selectboard has been aware of CVFRS personnel management challenges since mid-summer 2021 and has been drafting amendments to the MOA in executive session that would give the Town more ability to help CVFRS manage and navigate those challenges, if the CVFRS corporate board mutually agrees to amend the MOA. The Selectboard will request the CVFRS corporate board to meet to discuss amending the MOA, but have not yet set a date to do so. While, at this time, the Selectboard does not have the authority currently to help CVFRS navigate their personnel issues, the Selectboard has been working on offering MOA amendments to the CVFRS corporate board that will help stabilize the organization’s management, personnel and financial challenges.”
Patrice Machavern, CVFRS business operations manager, responded to a request for comment via email, “CVFRS's policy is that we do not discuss personnel matters. However, I can confirm that Rob Mullin is no longer an employee.”
CVFRS has had growing pains in recent months as the fire and EMS department move to hire more fulltime and fewer per-diem employees. Former fire volunteer Trevor Denton said that it’s an employer issue, not an employee issue, and that workplace favoritism and nepotism, as well as mismanagement, were to blame for the organization’s inability to retain staff.