Less than a week after Six Nations Elected Council announced that former Fire Chief Mike Seth had returned to his previous role under the title of acting fire chief, the Two Row Times found out he is on leave after speaking with assistant Six Nations Fire Chief Crystal Farmer.
She would only tell Two Row Times that it’s an “administrative matter” after the paper sought to speak with Seth about his return to the community.
The Two Row Times contacted Six Nations of the Grand River Public Relations coordinator Darryl Smart for further information and he was surprised to learn of the leave, but he did not provide further clarification by press time.
Farmer said Seth was still the Acting Chief despite being on leave.
The previous Six Nations Fire Chief was Ashley Smith. The fire chief is expected to lead the department in its mission to “protect and serve the Six Nations community while promoting safety and education” as well as overseeing all operations, training and personnel management within the department.
In a press release sent out last week, Seth had said he was “honoured” to be given this responsibility.
“I look forward to working with the dedicated members of the Six Nations Fire Department to ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to see my department flourish.”
Seth has 30 years experience as an emergency services worker.