Um Neil, Your True Colors Are Showing.....

With the closing of the Maplewood Fire Station, Neil Kinnon and MVRCS has lost the 'hold' they've had over the City of Malden in 'negotiating' the backroom deals for field time. Kinnon showed his true colors at a City Meeting last night where he was blatantly disrespectful and condescending to not only the Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief, but to other council members and the residents who were in attendance. In typical Kinnon fashion he attempted to bully and intimidate those that opposed him, at one point threatening to have people removed. It was apparent from the other councilors who were in attendance, that they were not in agreement with not only his tone but with his challenging of the closing of the fire station itself. If Neil Kinnon thought that he would embarrass the chief by asking questions in a verbally abusive manner and to which he (Kinnon) already knew the answers to, he was surely mistaken as he is the one who showed his true self.


For a man who has shown a blatant disregard for the laws that should govern him (in any of his roles or positions), it was comical on a number of issues for him to state that the Chief  "failed to properly report and document deteriorating conditions at the station before the decision was made to close it; broke procedure by closing the station without notifying the council or citizens; and did not account for increases in response times to the eastern half of the city." (Rancor Erupts As Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief).
In regards to not documenting deteriorating conditions, it seems that the Firemen had been in negotiations with the City for some time. It would seem overly apparent that if the firehouse is over 100 years old and no major work has been done on it, then it would be in less than adequate condition. Additionally a report was done in 2006 regarding the conditions of the building. The issue wasn't that the Chief did not follow procedure but that the City of Malden and MVRCS were in disagreement as to who was responsible for the condition of the building.
In regards to the allegation that the station was closed "without notifying the council or citizens" seems even more absurd after the councilors, Health Inspector, and Inspectional Services individuals who toured the facility as a group were quoted as saying the building was of great concern. Of course Kinnon and Nestor tried to place the blame on the firemen who they accused of neglecting the facility yet of great concern were the structural issues that plagued the building. These issues would have little to do with the housekeeping skills of the firemen.
Even more comical was Kinnon's concern regarding response times to different parts of the city as a result of the move to the Overlook Station. Interesting how he is concerned about the citizens safety now but felt that it was ok to have less than the adequate number of firefighters when 10 firefighters were laid off last year. Furthermore, if he was truly concerned about the residents of his ward, he would addressed the issue of the buildings condition BEFORE it came to this. His actions are very reactionary when he should have been much more proactive in maintaining and ensuring that his backroom deal stayed viable. 

One could surmise that it must have come as a total surprise to Kinnon that not only did the Fire Chief close the station, but did so with backing from Mayor Howard as he has been quoted as saying “I believe the City Council members and the Fire Department administration officials made an appropriate decision to vacate the premises at 11 Laurel Street for available facilities at Overlook Ridge,” Howard wrote (Rancor Erupts as Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief).
Last nights performance made it clear that Kinnon is incredibly self-absorbed and egotistical. It is obvious that he is unwilling to admit that the fire house is in deplorable condition regardless of the opinion of those more qualified than he. Additionally, we would surmise that if the air quality is unfit for adult men, then it certainly is unfit for young children (yes, students are still receiving lessons within the building).He demonstrated much of the attitude and behavior that he demonstrates at Board Meetings. Unfortunately for MVRCS, unlike his position as City Councilor where he is elected, the parents of MVRCS have no such opportunity to 'vote' him out. And, once again Neil Kinnon has managed to drag MVRCS name into the mud. Well done Councilor, oops Chairman.

Read more at Rancor Erupts as Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief and be sure to check out the reader comments regarding Neil Kinnon's deplorable behavior.