Township Appoints Temporary Full-Time Fire Chief

Embrun, Ontario, April 19, 2022 — The Township of Russell has appointed Bruce Armstrong, Fire Chief for the Russell station, as a temporary Full-Time Fire Chief.

Council approved the appointment at its meeting on Monday April 19, 2022. The temporary appointment will begin May 1, 2022, for a period of one year.

Chief Armstrong has been with the Township Fire Department for over 30 years, when he joined as a volunteer firefighter in 1992. He has held the role of Fire Chief for the Russell Station since 2004.

The Township Fire Department was previously managed by two Fire Chiefs, Chief Duhamel and Chief Armstrong, who led the Embrun and Russell fire stations, respectively. Chief Brian Duhamel announced his retirement from the Fire Department earlier this year.

Establishing a new full-time Fire Chief position has been a long-term goal for the Township, identified in the municipal Business Plan, Fire Master Plan and most recently the Level of Service Review. The Township is seizing the opportunity to work with Chief Armstrong on improving the Fire Department before he approaches retirement.

“Chief Armstrong has gained valuable experience, training, and team leading skills while managing the Russell Fire Station,” states Mayor Leroux. “His experience and knowledge are an important part of this next step in the Township’s growth.”

During his one-year appointment, Chief Armstrong’s duties will be to identify the Fire Department’s needs, standardize procedures, address inefficiencies, create a comprehensive job description for the permanent position, and more.

“I’m excited to take on this new role,” says Chief Armstrong. “It's an opportunity to support the Fire Services moving forward and lead our dedicated Firefighters as one team.”

Chief Armstrong's temporary appointment is also supported by Chief Duhamel. Duhamel stated that he "has full confidence in Chief Armstrong's ability to lead our two stations through this transition period.”

The Township Fire Department is responsible for fire and emergency operations for the municipality and includes 52 volunteer firefighters between the Embrun and Russell stations.

For more information, contact the Communications Department by email info@russell.ca.