Although resigning as Fire Chief, Nick Ruller will continue to serve and protect the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake as a Volunteer Firefighter for the Town
For Immediate Release
February 7, 2022
It is with sadness yet acclamation the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake announces the resignation of Fire Chief Nick Ruller. Nick has accepted the position of Platoon Chief at the City of Brampton.
“Since his start with Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2017, Nick has elevated the Town’s Fire Service through ingenuity, continuous improvement efforts, and strategic leadership,” stated Lord Mayor Betty Disero. “Nick’s commitment to meaningful improvements for the Town’s emergency response efforts and volunteer firefighter model has and will continue to benefit the Niagara-on-the-Lake community. On behalf of Town Council, I would like to thank Nick for his exceptional leadership and wish him nothing but success in the next phase of this career.”
Nick first began working in Niagara-on-the-Lake as a volunteer firefighter in 1998. After accepting a career firefighter position with the City of Toronto Fire Services in 2001, he returned to Niagara-on-the-Lake as Deputy Fire Chief in 2017. He was promoted to Fire Chief in 2019 and, since that time, has concurrently served as Regional Fire Coordinator for the Niagara Region.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Nick for his commitment, teamwork, and community focus,” stated CAO Marnie Cluckie. “I will always be grateful for his collaborative approach, optimistic outlook on life, and value-based leadership. Nick is a thoughtful and strategic leader who strives to create a positive culture of trust and respect, enabling everyone to work toward common goals and objectives. Under Nick’s leadership, there have been vast improvements in Fire Services, and he has developed a terrific team. Nick can leave with the confidence that this dedicated, motivated, and professional team will continue his strong trajectory.”
Some of Nick’s accomplishments as Chief include:
- Undertaking a comprehensive Fire Department Master Planning process leading to the development of a community-driven Strategic Plan for Fire & Emergency Services, with direct alignment to the 2018-2022 Council Strategic Plan;
- Championing the Commission on Fire Accreditation International Self-Assessment and Continuous Improvement Accreditation process through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (ultimately making Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services 1 of 9 accredited agencies in Canada and 1 of 290 in North America);
- Completing various modernization initiatives (e.g., mobile data terminals, business intelligence platforms for improved data visualization, and notification software for enhanced response times); and,
- Initiating and implementing proactive and progressive change through new programs, policies, and procedures to drive organizational performance.
Nick did this all while overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Upon his resignation as Fire Chief, Nick intends to transition back to a volunteer firefighter position with Station 1 in Old Town, where he had been volunteering before accepting the Deputy position in 2017. While he will no longer be Fire Chief, he will still continue to serve and protect the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
A robust recruitment process will be initiated shortly, and more information will be forthcoming regarding the appointment of an Acting Chief of Fire & Emergency Services until the position is filled.
The Town extends its thanks to Nick for his past and ongoing commitment to the Corporation and the community. There is no doubt that he will be sincerely missed as Fire Chief.
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Media contact:
Marah Minor, Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator
905-468-3266 | communications@notl.com