Feeling pressure from their union, four senior volunteer firefighters have resigned from the Orangeville Fire Department. The resignations came in during the past week, after local double hatters -- people who work as full-time firefighters in one community and volunteer with departments where they live -- received letters directing them to "cease immediately" their involvement as volunteers.

"Not only are these unions putting the citizens of Orangeville at risk, but our own firefighters as well. In a day-and-a-half we lost 46 years of firefighting experience, along with the department's training division," says Fire Chief Andy Macintosh, calling the union pressure "an attack" on his department. "It is absolutely disgusting."

The department now has 28 volunteer and 10 full-time members, plus a chief, a deputy chief and two fire prevention officers. Prior to the resignations, the force had seven double hatters.

"We really value the individuals who gave their expertise and time to the town," says Mayor Rob Adams. "They will be missed."

Union pressure has been applied through the locals at the double hatters' full-time jobs. This is done, explains Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) president Fred LeBlanc, for a number of reasons, including the safety of union members.

"You've got very small composite departments, probably similar to Orangeville, where there becomes a real reliance from the municipality on other people's full-time firefighters to supplement rather than actually provide the proper full-time firefighting force," he says.

"You're relying on people who may or may not be there, trying to disguise your fire service as a well-trained, highly-efficient fire service."

The OPFFA, which is part of the American-based International Fire Fighters Association, has approximately 9,500 members across the province.

Double hatters, LeBlanc continues, expose themselves to added stresses, potential sleep deprivation and, in some cases, toxins linked to cancer. The former two put other full-time members at risk, he says, while the latter creates jurisdictional issues when it comes to worker's compensation claims.

"They are expensive claims ... and they have to pay a lot of money for those claims," LeBlanc says, suggesting municipalities point their finger at a double hatter's involvement with another department when claims are filed.

However, a letter dated Oct. 18 to an Orangeville volunteer firefighter from union local 1212 president Greg Laing, suggests the pressure is being applied to volunteers in an effort to force the hiring of additional full-time firefighters.

"As you are aware, the department is in the process of becoming increasingly full-time and reducing its dependence on volunteer firefighters," the letter states, referring to the Orangeville department. The union constitution, it adds, prohibits members from becoming volunteer firefighters. "This activity plainly interferes with the ability ... to bargain for more good paying union firefighting positions in their jurisdiction."

There is no effort underway to hire more full-time firefighters, says Macintosh.

"Our volunteers will continue to be our main firefighting resource for many years to come, and no union, whether it is our own local or an outside one, will dictate when the town hires more full-time firefighters," he says, calling the union's belief "misguided."

"Safety will not be compromised as a result of this union action," Macintosh adds. "Forty-six years of experience is a lot to lose, but we have a very strong group of dedicated volunteers who do an excellent job and the entire department will continue to do their very best. The citizens of this town and surrounding area can depend on them for fire protection service."

A hiring process is being immediately launched to replace the volunteer firefighters who resigned.

Orangeville firefighters respond to more than 1,400 calls annually, including fires, motor vehicle collisions, rescue efforts and medical emergencies. They cover Orangeville, Mono, Amaranth and East Garafraxa.

"They're an extremely well-connected political force," East Garafraxa Mayor Al Taylor says of the OPFFA, noting it threw its support behind the Liberals, which received a majority victory during last month's provincial election.

Taylor is vice-chair of the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (ROMA), which has attempted unsuccessfully in the past to resolve matters with OPFFA.

"It's an issue that has continued to boil bellow the surface for ROMA.... It's just that every once in a while it rears its ugly head again and it looks as if this is one of those times," Taylor says. "This kind of thing will impact every little, rural volunteer force that has somebody who is professionally trained on it."