By FireRescue1 Staff
NEW ORLEANS — Members of the New Orleans firefighters’ union gathered last week to announce a vote of “no confidence” in Chief Timothy McConnell.
NOLA.com reported that the unanimous vote was made during a union meeting several months ago. However, an issue regarding firefighters being ordered to dismantle a city monument caused members to make the vote public.
In regard to the monument order, New Orleans Firefighters Association President Nick Felton said firefighters were “tired of [Chief McConnell] asking us to perform tasks that we are not trained for.”
He also mentioned crews being required to perform police work.
“We need new leadership, that’s why we’re here,” Felton said. “This is just the start of whatever we need to do.”
The union called for Chief McConnell’s “immediate” removal from “all aspects of the fire service.”
NOFD and Chief McConnell did not comment.
The mayor’s office released this statement after the union’s conference:
“Nick Felton and the Union have proven they will exploit any situation for political gain. This is a new low to attack firefighters for helping to protect lives. While there was never a vote by the Union on this matter, Felton is the same person who was voted off the firefighter pension board for mismanagement. This is the same person who claims it is unsafe for firefighters to help prevent fires by installing smoke alarms in homes throughout our neighborhoods. He lacks credibility.”
Further, the mayor’s office stated that they will “not be intimidated or deterred.”