The reorganization of the organization chart of the Ville de Rigaud, and in particular of the Fire Department, was the focus of attention at the regular municipal council meeting on Tuesday, July 11.

It should be remembered that the Ville de Rigaud unveiled its new organizational structure and project office back in April. This initiative aims to ensure better monitoring of operations by reducing the number of departments from eleven to five.

"The new structure will foster collaboration, increase team agility, the fluidity of exchanges, ideas and skills, as well as decision-making," indicated Mr. Boissonneault in a press release. 

This organizational move will result in the abolition of five management positions, including those of Director of Finance (vacant position), Director of Communications and Community Relations (position replaced by "Division Manager - Communications" within the Leisure, Culture and Tourism Department); Director of Human Resources (position replaced by "Talent Development and Workplace Wellness Advisor" within General Management, Director of Urban Planning and Director of Public Works. 

In all, the restructuring will result in the loss of two jobs, one abolished and one not replaced.

The Fire Department is not spared 

While the Fire Safety Department was not affected by the recent wave of resignations prior to Maxime Boissonneault's arrival in office, this is not the case for the current restructuring. 

Within the municipal brigade, the City confirms the abolition of the positions of Assistant Director - Prevention, Assistant Director - Operations (vacant), two Team Leader positions and one Operations Chief position. 

On the other hand, Ville de Rigaud specifies, by e-mail, that new positions will be created in the Fire Department: four captains, one division chief - operations, one division chief - prevention.The new structure creates six positions to be filled. Will Fire Chief Sylvain Brazeau keep his position? "Absolutely: Mr. Brazeau's position is not affected by the restructuring," says General Manager Maxime Boissonneault in an e-mail to Néomédia.

It was to protest against this downsizing that several of the company's employees attended the meeting to express their dissatisfaction.

According to our information, a senior manager in the current hierarchy, with many years of service to the brigade, will see his position abolished. Faced with an offer of a lesser post, he will be stepping down on August 11.

"He's one of the best in Quebec when it comes to emergency measures, and he's being relieved of his duties in this way. We don't understand it, and we think it's unfair," said one of the firefighters who spoke to Neomedia after the public meeting about the soon-to-be-retired employee.

One by one, the firefighters in the audience took the floor to try and find out the reasons behind this reorganization. Some also questioned Mayor Marie-Claude Frigault about a new bylaw adopted in recent months to delegate more powers, including that to abolish a position and fire personnel, to the city's general manager. Currently, this seat, at the top of the organizational chart, is occupied by Maxime Boissonneault.

"What citizens need to understand is that, as elected officials, our power is limited. We're not the ones who rub shoulders with staff on a day-to-day basis to see employees evolve in their role, it's the person who occupies the position of general manager. So she's in the best position to make human resources decisions," she explained a few times during the evening.

On the other hand, staff movements, whether hiring or leaving, must be ratified by the municipal council at its monthly meetings.

Fears for their safety

Among the sappers who spoke was Christian-Olivier Julien, who holds a position with the Rigaud brigade, as well as being a lieutenant with the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal. Julien, who, like most members of the Rigaud Fire Department, holds down two jobs, expressed his fears about the change in governance.

"In the new job offers published in the last few days in connection with the organizational chart change, I noticed that no specific skills were required. Honestly, that worries me a lot, and I'm not the only one. The people who will occupy this position will be our superiors in the field. We'll be putting our safety, and our lives, in their hands, and they won't have any skills? It doesn't work," he argued.

In response, Mayor Marie-Claude Frigault tried to be reassuring. "Perhaps the people who will be hired will have experience. I'm not the one who writes the job offers, but I'm certain that we won't be hiring people with no experience. We hear your fears and we'll take them into consideration, but we must give the runner a chance before criticizing. I'm convinced that the reorganization will bear fruit," she said, adding, in response to a question from the same citizen, that job offers are drawn up by the directors of each department.

For his part, Marc-Olivier Legault, also a firefighter with the local brigade, also spoke. "Internally, the hiring of new resources who will become our superiors is seen as a disavowal on your part of the fire brigade. It's as if you're telling us we're not good enough to fill these positions. That's the impression of many if that's not the case," he shared, before seeing the mayor retort that this is absolutely not the case.

The firefighters also denounced the lack of involvement of the Fire Department Director in the Ville de Rigaud's decision-making committees regarding the reorganization of the organization chart. "I know that recommendations were made to the municipal administration by our director, but they were obviously not followed up and ratified," said another firefighter present at Néomédia after the meeting.