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Fire chief pushed, spat on answering Pitt Meadows call

Notebook tossed into the water when he asked group to put out fire
web1_170704-MRN-M-Brad-Perrie
Asst. fire chief Brad Perrie. THE NEWS/files

Pitt Meadows Fire and Rescue Services is reviewing its policies after one of their own got pushed around and spat on when answering a burning complaint last week.

Asst. fire chief Brad Perrie answered a call at about 8:30 p.m., June 29, Thursday, on the Pitt River dike at the north end of Rannie Road, in north Pitt Meadows.

He was responding to a complaint about people having a campfire right on the dike and approached the group that included two women, two kids and a man, asking them to put out the fire.

“Basically, they told him to f— off, none of his business what they were doing,” said Pitt Meadows fire chief Don Jolley.

The man then pushed the firefighter, spat on him and threw his note book into the Pitt River, destroying several months of the assistant fire chief’s notes.

Ridge Meadows RCMP answered the call with seven cars but were unable to locate the vehicle. The suspect took off on foot.

It was an unnerving experience when in a remoted area by yourself, Jolley added.

The fire department as a result, may change how it answers such calls. “If it’s a threat to our personal safety, then we won’t be responding to burning complaints. And the public won’t be happy about that,” Jolley said.

“We enforce the city’s bylaws. It’s totally unacceptable that type of behaviour.” Anyone who knows anything should call the cops.

Perrie wasn’t injured but was shaken by the incident.

Jolley wanted to point out that burning or fires of any kind are banned year-round in Pitt Meadows.

“There is no burning/ period, full stop of any thing other than propane or natural gas appliances in Pitt Meadows, period. Unless you’re a farmer on agricultural land … in a certain window of time, which is not right now.”

A Ridge Meadows RCMP spokesman said no suspects have been located. “They guys skedaddled before police were able to get there.”