COSMOPOLIS, Wash. — All the volunteer firefighters for the city of Cosmopolis will resign on Jan. 1, 2022, over a dispute with Mayor Kyle Pauley.
In a letter announcing the mass resignation, the Association of Cosmopolis Firefighters alleged the department has "not been able to operate efficiently, or safely" during Pauley's term. The association also claimed Pauley removed necessary funding and leadership without communicating or putting plans in place to restructure the department.
The association claimed the former chief of the Cosmopolis Fire Department was dismissed after expressing concerns over operating with an insufficient number of volunteers and requesting "small recruitment-related purchases that were denied."
The firefighters accused Pauley of failing to communicate with department personnel, city staff and the city's Public Safety Committee, allegedly leading one of the two members to resign in frustration.
"Your firefighters in no way want to leave this community unprotected, we are citizens ourselves with families and homes that need emergency medical and fire protection if those unforeseen circumstances arise, however we cannot protect you while keeping ourselves safe in the current state Mayor Pauley and his colleagues have created," the letter reads.
Attached to the letter, the fire department provided a list of 14 reasons for their resignation, including claims the city failed to pay the state of Washington fees to ensure death and injury protection for firefighters, was slow to make repairs to a fire engine, denied requests to pay for COVID-19 tests for first responders exposed on the job and ignored budget requests from the fire department.
Mayor Pauley responded to the allegations, saying the announcement came as a "shock" and claimed each item the association brought up had either been explained, or was addressed and resolved.
RELATED: Monroe School District superintendent placed on administrative leave amid calls for his resignation
"We will continue to attempt an open dialogue, and hope that there is some sort of coordination we can make to alleviate some of the issues," Pauley said in a statement.
Pauley said he has already begun making plans to ensure residents don't lose access to emergency services, saying it was too soon to know what that would look like in the long term.
"We are hopeful that we can sit down and talk about some of their concerns and find a resolution. The charges laid out towards me in the letter have all been discussed prior and addressed," Pauley wrote. "Despite their dislike of the additional oversight and accountability that was required throughout the City during this pandemic, the policies were for the longevity of all departments.
"The future of the Cosmopolis Fire Department is paramount to myself and the rest of the city. Losing the volunteers we currently have is a major blow, but we will find a solution to ensure the City is protected."
