Estevan is looking for a fire chief for the second time in the last 18 months.
The City of Estevan informed Shane Code on Dec. 1 that he was being dismissed without cause. Code joined the Fire Rescue Service in October 2014 as the replacement for Ron Tocker, who had retired four months earlier.
Mayor Roy Ludwig told the Mercury that Estevan city council appreciated Code’s efforts to help the fire department grow, and they were pleased with some of the suggestions Code made.
“He was big on education,” said Ludwig. “I think Shane brought some good aspects to the fire department, and we valued his opinion, but at this point in time, we think it’s time to move on.”
Ludwig wouldn’t divulge any specific reasons for Code’s dismissal.
Code said he wasn’t given a reason for council’s decision, and there weren’t any indications that his dismissal was imminent.
While his time in Estevan was relatively short, Code believes the fire department was able to do some good for the citizens of the community.
“We’ve moved forward with a recruiting training program that makes sure our recruits are safe and in place and able to do the work they can do, and an equipment and preventative maintenance program to have the tools that we need on a day-to-day basis,” said Code.
The department also modified its aerial truck to be better equipped. The truck is the No. 2 truck in the fire department’s fleet, but it was not fully equipped for firefighting purposes.
“If our engine 1-8 is tied up in the outside RMs, our aerial truck is there to serve the citizens of the community,” said Code.
The department also started the process of negotiating new outside service agreements with the rural municipalities (RM) it supports, to ensure the city is well-compensated if the fire department is called to a fire in an RM.
Estevan Fire and Rescue provides firefighting services for the RMs of Estevan, Benson and Cambria.
The fire department went through some tough times during his tenure as well, including a fatal apartment fire shortly after he arrived, a number of large fires inside the city and in the surrounding rural areas, and the sudden passing of Capt. Neil Kish early in the year.
But they persevered through the adversity.
Code said the local firefighters quickly welcomed him “into the family.” He recognizes and understands a lot of people wanted deputy fire Chief Dale Feser to be promoted to the chief’s job when it became available last year, and some people were concerned about hiring someone from outside the community.
“The city needs to recognize it has about 30 really awesome people who show up consistently and serve,” said Code.
Code said he’s not sure what he’ll do next. He loves the fire service, but he has also enjoyed living in Estevan.
“The city has some great ideas, but they’re going in a different direction,” said Code.
He was the fire chief in Coldwater, B.C., before he came to Estevan.
Code will receive a severance package, Ludwig said, but the mayor wouldn’t divulge the figure.
Feser will be the interim fire chief. A decision has yet to be made on the scope of the search for Code’s replacement, and Ludwig said the time frame to find a new, permanent fire chief will depend on the depth of the search.
“In the next month or two, we will be looking at our options as far as the fire chief’s replacement, with the intent, probably, to have a new fire chief in place for the next two months,” Ludwig said.
