Tim Burgess was officially sworn in as the Cramahe Township Fire Chief on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at the Keeler Centre in Colborne.
In front of his family including his wife Terri-Lynn and four children, council members, town staff, fellow firefighters from Cramahe Township and beyond, Burgess was sworn in by Clerk Julie Oram.
Mayor Mandy Martin spoke prior to the swearing in of Chief Burgess.
“It is so nice to be able to be here today and it’s exciting to have our Town Counsel leadership in place that works very hard for you. It is my pleasure to be here this evening to congratulate Tim on being our second full time Fire Chief for the Township of Cramahe Fire Department.
As the Mayor, one of the most important decisions I will make is my choice for the Fire Chief. For any city, village or Township, public safety is job number one.”
“Every day the brave individuals of the Township of Cramahe Fire Department must be willing and ready to lay their life on the line for the well-being of this community and for that we are grateful for all your dedication and enthusiasm.”
“We have great men and women in the department that continually go above and beyond the call of duty. Our firefighters raise money each year in a series of events to benefit our community.”
“They are currently planning the hockey tournament to support the organization, “After The Call” that send counselors out to emergency service workers that suffer from PTSD. The money donated covers the full years’ operating budget.”
“We have numerous residents comment that the fire department actions demonstrate that people really do care and there are still really good people in this world.”
“Tim – you made it through a panel of five interviewers and 29 firefighters to be standing here today. You have 30 years of experience in a variety of roles and have worked with a spirit of dedication to this profession and a love of tradition.”
“You must lead with strength, intelligence and integrity. You are standing here today because of your ability to lead our Fire Department into a new era. We will be looking to you to develop our firefighters, the Fire Service and the community in which you live to make Cramahe Township a safer place to live. We will look to you to enhance the service of this department recognizing that Cramahe is growing.”
“I have every bit of confidence that you will provide great and excellent leadership to the men and women in the fire department. You will make things happen.”