On Wednesday (October 15), surrounded by friends and colleagues, Chief Andy Thiessen of Morden Fire & Rescue completed the end of his 30 years as chief with a celebration. For the chief, who spent a total of 45 years with the service overall, it was a bittersweet event marking an end, but also a new beginning. ‘It’s humbling’ The support Chief Thiessen felt on the special day mirrored the support he encountered at every step of his career. “It's wonderful seeing people come out to support you. Throughout my whole employment here, people have ... stopped in and said that every time they hear the sirens, they send out a prayer for us, [and now they’re] showing up for an event like this on a Wednesday afternoon,” he said. “It's humbling. It feels great to know that you've got the support of your community, and that's why we give back so freely, because it's a great place to be.” ‘We should retire at the same time’ Chief Thiessen’s retirement is loosely related to another recent departure that has also marked a significant change for Morden — Chief Brad Neduzak of the Morden Police Service, who led the department as chief for 30 years of his 45-year career. “I was planning on being another year or so, but 10 years ago or even more, ... we joked about [retirement] sitting around at a campfire and said, ‘Hey, we should retire at the same time,’ and when he showed up one day and said, ‘Oh, I'm pulling the plug, I'm doing it now,’ I said, ‘We didn't have a meeting!’” After some thought, however, the lighthearted exchange became more real as Chief Thiessen realized that retirement appealed to him, too. “I started thinking about it a little bit, and it [ended] up being a good time for me as well .... When I started, I wanted to leave when the department was in good shape and I was healthy, and the community was in a good spot, and that's where we're at,” he said. “It's a good time to step aside and let some of the younger ones kind of take over. They've got ideas that I can't even comprehend, but I know they're good ones. It's time for them to take the reins.” ‘A lifetime of commitment’ One of the guests in attendance at Chief Thiessen’s retirement event was Kelvin Toews, the president of the Manitoba Fire Association. In his speech honouring the fire chief, he touched on the length of time that the chief was in service — 30 years as chief, and 45 years in the department. To Toews, the sheer amount of time is nothing short of “extraordinary.” Related stories: Community embraces MFR Open House Words of thanks, admiration send off Chief Brad Neduzak of Morden Police “That's not just a career, that's a lifetime of commitment to a community, to a department, and to a calling that demands the best of a person every single day,” he said. “He has always understood that being a firefighter and fire chief is about more than responding to emergencies; it’s about building people and forging relationships. It’s about guiding, mentoring, and inspiring others to carry the torch forward.” Toews added that Chief Thiessen’s influence has gone beyond shaping Morden’s fire department. He has also had an impact on firefighting across the province with his leadership. Integrity, humility, and calm Deputy Chief Tim Reimer’s speech honoured the legacy of a fire chief who “didn’t just fill a role but ... defined it.” For him, Chief Thiessen’s career is characterized by integrity, humility, and a “calm that made the hardest calls a little easier to face.” He also took the time to thank Chief Thiessen’s family. “We know the job doesn’t just take a toll on the firefighter, but on the family behind them. You’ve all sacrificed holidays, weekends, and sleep so that he could serve this community, and we are so grateful,” he said. A core concept As Chief Thiessen embraces the next season of his life, he has some advice for his successor. It begins with acknowledging that in a small community, responding to incidents often means coming across people one knows. After 30 years of leadership, he concludes that respect is paramount. “You want to show them as much support as you can. They got themselves into a bad day, and you want to make that day a little bit better .... Maybe it was their fault, but that doesn't really matter at the moment — you want to make sure you get them through it, and that everything is fine,” he said. “I guess a little word of advice would be: Just be kind. Let them know that they're as important as anything, and that right now, they have one hundred per cent of your attention.” A family for life In the end, Chief Thiessen’s stepping aside does not mean that the strong bonds he’s formed over the years will dissolve. Through both personal and professional tribulations, he has become a permanent fixture in Morden’s “fire family.” “It is a family, and you can't get away from that. You stand beside somebody who needs you, and then they stand beside you when you need them. You just can't walk away from that kind of stuff,” he said. “For a fire family, you do anything, and I've seen it over and over again, and I've experienced it over and over again .... [We can never repay them for] the things that they did for us, but you keep on trying, and hopefully you can give something back — and that's the biggest joy, knowing that you've helped somebody else out.” To learn more about Chief Thiessen’s career, click here. With files from Robyn Wiebe