Max McLellan retires from Brussels Fire Department, Brussels Agromart

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

As October turned to November, Max McLellan officially retired from his position as the Brussels Fire Department chief; a final pager call to the department members went out that day to help mark the occasion.

 

McLellan’s time with the Brussels Fire Department dates back to a simpler time. A time that was recently in the news. A time when the Toronto Blue Jays were busy winning their second World Series title in as many years. Yes, all the way back in 1993 McLellan was approached by some members of the department asking if he’d consider joining.

 

Back then, he said in an interview with The Citizen, things were a lot different. Back then, there was a very loud siren in town and firefighters’ wives would call others to let them know there was a call. His soon-to-be colleagues knew that he worked in town and was a young, able-bodied man who was always willing to step up for his community, so they saw him as a prime candidate for the department. They were right and, soon enough, he was a member of the department.

 

Over the years, he continued to serve as an engaged and dedicated member of the department, quietly rising through the ranks. He eventually made his way to the deputy-chief position, serving under Murray McArter for many years. McLellan said that McArter was a great chief under whom to learn. He was always willing to share and forthcoming with information; if McLellan had questions about how things worked within the department, McArter was always there to answer them.

 

Then, when the time came, McLellan stepped into the role and began leading the department, which he did for about 10 years before deciding it was time to hang up his bunker suit for one last time. 

 

On Friday, Nov. 21, McLellan will also walk away from his career at Brussels Agromart. That’s the same day that his wife Barb, the village’s postmaster, is retiring from her position. The couple hopes to spend more time together, with their family and grandchildren and travelling before moving full-time to the new beach house they’ve purchased near Port Elgin - a dream of theirs for many years finally come true.

 

Reflecting, Max says he’s been proud to be able to help the people of his community. There have been difficult calls over the years, but he takes solace in the fact that he and his fellow firefighters were always there to help, even with some of the village’s most challenging incidents. He knows that the men and women of the department he’s handing over to new Chief Brian Deitner are well-trained, caring and there for one another. 

 

Max says that when the department tends to a particularly bad call, the firefighters have been known to gather at the hall to talk it through and make sure everyone is handling it well, or follow up with phone calls in subsequent days to ensure that everyone is alright and, if they need help, finding it for them.

 

As for the dedication to the department, with Max running off to calls at all hours of the day and night, no matter the day or time, he said he couldn’t have done it without his wife Barb, who has been so supportive of him and his work with the department for its duration.

 

Now, however, he says the time has come for him to step back, spend more time with his wife and his family, travel and more, all while letting a new voice take charge within the department.

 

It has been a change, he said, and he has found himself reaching for his pager more than a few dozen times in a day, but he’s sure that will subside as time goes on.