Life is going to be getting busier now for Tim Reimer with his new role announced last week by the City of Morden.
Tim Reimer has served with Morden Fire & Rescue for 36 years. He is now stepping into the role of fire chief
Reimer is not only the director of operations for the city but is now adding the job of fire chief following the retirement of longtime chief Andy Thiessen.
“It is going to be a lot more work for me … and the fire chief’s role can be full time … it’s a 24/7 job, right,” said Reimer.
“It’s definitely going to make the plate a little fuller … but both organizations have great groups of people to stand with me and work with me and support me,” he said. “With my other role here at the city, I have a great group of guys here behind me.”
Reimer seemed to be a natural choice to be the new fire chief as he comes with 36 years of service to the department, including 25 years as deputy chief.
In the announcement by the City of Morden, Reimer was praised for “demonstrating outstanding leadership, operational knowledge and commitment to the safety and well-being of our community.
“Throughout his three decades with Morden Fire and Rescue, Tim has been instrumental in shaping the department’s training standards, emergency response protocols and community safety initiatives. His experience, mentorship and steady leadership have earned him the respect of firefighters, partner agencies and residents alike.”
Reimer welcomes both the challenge and the opportunity.
“I’m very excited … it was an unbelievable day,” he said.
He expressed his appreciation for not only Thiessen but all of the volunteers with the fire department.
“Working along side the newly retired fire chief, I’ve learned a lot from him, and I look to continue to bring the same direction that he brought to the department,” Reimer said.
“We have a great department with unbelievable support from the crew that we have on our fire department. They work hard, and they have great dedication to the community. That’s something that we really strive for, and the department is an unbelievable place to work.
“It definitely makes the leadership job easier when you have a crew like that behind you,” said Reimer, who noted they not only have some new recruits but even more experienced members with anywhere from five up to 25 years of service.
“We do have a lot of experience on the department, and it is really good to have that here,” said Reimer. “They’re a really close group, and it’s an honour to stand in front of them and lead them … and having guys like that to stand behind you is great.”
Reimer noted he sees the department having a continued emphasis on skill upgrading and training.
“The guys have always shown a lot of interest in expanding their knowledge and getting into the speciality training. It’s something they all want to do, and that’s what makes the department so good and so strong.”
