July 13, 2016
Brantford fire chief retiring
By brantfordexpositor.ca
Published: July 13, 2016
Link to article: Brantford fire chief retiring
Reflecting on his 30 years with the Brantford Fire Department, including six years as chief, there is one accomplishment Jeff McCormick will always savour.
“There was a time when there was a lot of fires involving children, including some fatalities that could be traced to kids playing with fire,” McCormick recalled. “We wanted to address the problem and so we formed this steering committee that included people from the school boards, the police, mental health providers and local children’s agencies.
“Together we were able to come up with a program that had and continues to have an impact on fire safety in the community.”
The program, which began in 2001, is officially called Brant TAPP-C (The Arson Prevention Program for Children) and continues to be taught to children in Brantford and Brant County. McCormick was the committee co-chair and is proud to have been part of the community-wide effort to address what had emerged as a major problem.
McCormick, who joined the department as a recruit firefighter in 1986, announced Wednesday that he will be retiring at the end of August.
He worked his way up through the ranks and became a fire prevention officer in 1998 before taking on the role as chief fire prevention officer and deputy fire chief in 2010.
In 2011, McCormick became chief taking over from Garth Dix.
As well, he served on the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Board of Directors since 2014 and is one of four vice-presidents.
“Jeff’s dedication to service is a reflection of his commitment to the city and his team of firefighters,” Mayor Chris Friel said in a statement announcing McCormick’s retirement. “Thanks to his leadership the city is well-positioned to meet the fire and emergency services demands of our growing community.”
McCormick credits his late uncle Alvin Steinman, a volunteer firefighter in Baden, ON, for sparking his initial interest in firefighting.
As a youngster, McCormick visited the station and the memory of those visits stayed with him as a teen. He embarked on a research project which included an interview with Richard Ayers, a member of the Brantford fire department.
Ayers’ exuberance inspired McCormick to pursue a career in the fire service.
In addition to Ayers, McCormick said in the statement, that he is grateful to former Brantford fire chiefs Dix and Ross Bennett and Joe Simon for encouraging him to develop his knowledge, skills and for leading by example with assertiveness and compassion.
“Jeff is a dedicated leader who played a significant role in preparing the department the community to effectively respond to major fires and emergencies,” Jo Atanas, the city’s general manager of public healthy safety and social services, said.
McCormick also served as coach of the Brantford Blast, of the Allan Cup Hockey league during the 2014-15 season and from 2008-2011. He also worked with the Norwood Vipers and Whitby Dunlops of the Allan Cup league as an assistant coach.
McCormick laughed when asked if he was retiring because he had been approached by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brantford Blast or Whitby Dunlops for a coaching position.
“No, but I am moving on to something else,” he said. “I’m not at liberty to say what at this point but it’s not hockey-related.”
McCormick said he has enjoyed his time working and serving the city.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from some of the finest people you could ever meet and that’s something that I’m really going to miss,” McCormick said.
City officials are starting their search for a new fire chief this week.