CHARLOTTE, Mich. — After all 23 volunteer firefighters resigned from the Charlotte fire department on Monday, March 21, the city has decided and released in a statement that they “cannot rehire the volunteers as a group.”
According to the statement, they are actively and aggressively conducting recruitment for volunteers and the city encourages former volunteers who wish to return to apply. "It is our desire to retain as many of our former volunteer firefighters as possible.”
In an interview with FOX 47, LaPere said that public safety is their priority. “We are going to be aggressively filling those positions as quickly as possible and I want to encourage those former volunteers to reapply. We are interested in bringing them back. Of course, we never wanted them to leave in the first place.” She pointed out that they are already trained and knowledgeable and stated that the city can work through the process relatively quickly to get them back on the job.
Many discussions have happened since the resignations to find resolutions between the volunteers and the city. It was clear very quickly that the volunteers resigned to set a statement as a result of “baseless claims and untruths” made to the volunteers, mainly by Mayor Michael Armitage. Former volunteer firefighter Ronald Smith spoke in front of the council and a room full of Charlotte residents during a special council meeting on Monday. Smith pointed out that the volunteers' walkout was a “lengthy sequence of events and a combination of unresolved issues being brewing over the past two years.” During his speech, Smith asked for the "acknowledgment that the mayor has violated the city charter on multiple occasions" and apologized to the community for ending things the way they have. "In that moment, we felt that it was the only option left to to truly get a resolution to all the things we have laid before you," Smith said.
Today, LaPere said the city had been in talks with the volunteers to understand what their concerns were to make a path moving forward. She said she consulted with a labor attorney and reviewed the city’s policies, as well as state and federal laws to come to a decision. She did not say that any resolutions were agreed on between the city and the firefighters. Instead, LaPere said both parties committed to work together to continue ensuring there is open dialogue to avoid the same situation from happening again.
According to LaPere, this is “just the process we have to go through to stay in line with proper procedures. We have to go through this process to get them rehired. It’s not meant to be a punishment in any sort of way." She said she spoke with the volunteers, as well as Chief Robert Vogel, before releasing today’s statement. Vogel announced last week on Tuesday that he would resign effective April 4 because of "personal reasons."
LaPere further expresses gratitude to the six remaining full-time firefighters who have been handling all incoming emergencies since the resignations. “I know this has been incredibly stressful for the entire community for them specifically. I can't thank them enough for how hard they've worked over the last week.”
Barb Templin, a lifelong resident of Charlotte said, “the city manager clearly didn’t have the citizens’ best interest when she had a full room of the volunteers on Monday night that would have given both their arms to return only to be shut down.” Templin cannot believe that the volunteers have to re-apply.
According to the city’s statement, applicants must complete an application, have earned a high school diploma or GED, pass screening of criminal background and drivers license record, and pass the drug screening and physical and medical exam.
LaPere expects to update the city council on the application process during the regular council meeting on Monday, April 4 but does not expect any specific agenda item regarding the firefighters’ resignations.
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