Commitment to community not soon forgotten, department says
Volunteer firefighters Marilyn Campbell and Bill MacLellan are hanging up their helmets and hoses and retiring from the Woodlands Fire Department after a collective 31 years of public service.
“Marilyn and Bill will be missed by all members of the Woodlands Fire Department,” the department said in a statement to the Tribune.
“On behalf of Chief Dean Campbell, the RM of Woodlands reeve and council, RM of Woodlands residents and folks just passing through, we thank you for your service.”
Campbell, who joined the volunteer department in 2001, spent her professional career working as a paramedic in the Stonewall area.
She is known among her firefighting colleagues as being a skilled emergency responder, and often took the lead providing injured motorists with “the best care anyone could have,” the department said.
A natural leader and teacher, Campbell acted as the WFD’s first aid and CPR instructor for many years. The department credited her as the driving force behind its emergency medical training and practises.
“Marilyn has endless initiative, often half done something before the rest of us knew it needed doing. No matter the job, she helped us through challenges with enthusiasm, positivity and a smile,” WFD said.
“We are very thankful for all of this and very thankful for Marilyn’s time as a WFD volunteer.”
MacLellan, who returned to the department for his second foray into firefighting in 2010, is recognized as a relentlessly reliable man with an “unbeatable” response rate, WFD said.
“When a call came in, Bill would be there with sturdy Engine 4. His knowledge of the RM of Woodlands is incredibly detailed and his experience on the farm was called on regularly at fires in a farm yard or across a Shoal Lakes pasture. He was there until it was all done — sometimes longer.”
The department thanked MacLellan for his help in revitalizing the WFD bay at the Woodlands RM shop property, where he dedicated weeks standing on ladders and scaffolding to apply “untold coats of white paint.”
A committed and experienced firefighter, MacLellan completed both Level I Firefighting training and the Emergency Medical Responder course during his time on the force.
“Right up until his final week before moving, he attended training, participated fully and did so with pride. Bill’s unwavering demeanor and quiet wisdom was a foundation for the rest of us,” WFD said.
“He was a great mentor to young WFD members and supported all of us, often with just a nod or a kind word. He is an example we will look to for a very long time to come. We’re sorry to see him and Nancy moving on from their Woodlands home and we wish them all the very best.”
By Staff
