Fire chief to retire after 33 years in ‘best career in the world’

CENTRE WELLINGTON – It was the best of times. Period.

Centre Wellington Fire Chief Tom Mulvey had nothing negative to say about his 33 years with Centre Wellington Fire Rescue as he announced his retirement, effective March 31.

“It was the best career in the world,” he said in a phone interview on Jan. 27.

He lauded the fire chiefs who encouraged him to climb the career ladder, so to speak, from volunteer firefighter to public safety officer to deputy chief of fire prevention and public education and eventually to chief in 2021.

He was a brick layer and electrician by trade and was training when a tornado swept through Grand Bend and Barrie in the late 1980s.

He said he noted the “eerie, calm, weird-looking sky” and then a bunch of fire trucks racing off to Belwood, “and I thought, hmmm.”

Not long after that he was playing ball against a team of firefighters when they got a fire call “and suddenly vanished” and he was even more intrigued.

So he looked into it, his employer was open to it, and he began training to be a volunteer firefighter.

“I wish people would find out how a volunteer fire department works,” he said.

Volunteer firefighters have other employment, but when they are on call and when a fire call comes in, they leave their jobs and head to the station and then off to attend to the fire.

They are paid for their time fighting fires and have the same rigorous training as any firefighter, whether employed by a full-time or volunteer service.

In fact, the Centre Wellington department, with the Elora Gorge and Belwood Lake in its catchment area, has “an amazing rope rescue team,” he said.

“These firefighters know the ropes and are amazing at what they do. We don’t call bigger (fire services) to help us. They call us because they don’t have that specialized training.”

Over 33 years, with an average of 500 calls per year, Mulvey has witnessed some highs and lows.

When a call comes in, “you never know what you’re going to. Usually the people you’re assisting are having their worst day. So we’re dealing with emotions. I’ve seen a lot of things.”

He’s also received some amusing calls, like when someone called for help getting a bird out of a tree.

“It was a pet bird who got out of its cage and the pet owner was distraught,” he said with a chuckle.

“We’re the default agency and you never know what you’re going to see.”

As a new recruit, it was exciting when a call came in. But after 33 years, “I’m relieved when a call turns out not to be a fire. We actually get more medical calls than fires,” he said.

Mulvey feels good about retiring now, when the fire department is in good shape.

The township is in the midst of a fire master plan that will consider growth and possibly add a new fire station when the data points to it – one likely located north of the Grand River.

For a period of time he took the role as chief of the Puslinch fire department as well. But it quickly became apparent Puslinch needed a full-time chief and he lobbied for that to happen.

Jamie MacNeil is now chief of the Puslinch fire department.

In a Centre Wellington Township press release, CAO Dan Wilson lauded Mulvey for his years of service and for the improvements he made to the local department.

“Chief Mulvey has served the [township] with exceptional dedication and heart for more than three decades,” Wilson stated.

“His leadership, calm presence and commitment to community safety have made a lasting impact on our organization and the residents we serve. 

“We are truly grateful for his service and wish him every success in his well-deserved retirement.”

For his part, Mulvey is looking forward to spending time with his family, travelling across Canada with his wife in their new trailer, and heading to Portugal for an extended vacation.

But he’s grateful for the career that he had.

“It has been an honour to spend my career with Centre Wellington Fire Rescue, and I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to serve as fire chief,” Mulvey stated in the release.  

“Throughout my time in the fire service, I have been fortunate to work alongside an incredible team and to have the support of so many colleagues, friends, and community members. 

“I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my family for their unwavering support over the years.”