After 43 years of public service, Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan has announced his retirement.
Callaghan started his firefighting career as a volunteer firefighter in Brampton before becoming a police officer with the Toronto Police Service. He then worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was posted in Fort McMurray, Alberta for a number of years.
He and his wife Deb, who was also an RCMP officer at the time, were hoping to move back east.
“At that time, they needed as many officers in the west because of the oil boom in the late ‘70s and we couldn’t get a transfer east,” said Callaghan.
“So the only way to get where you wanted to live was to quit and rejoin.”
“Once you quit you had to wait a year before you could rejoin; we went and travelled and all that kind of stuff, and in the meantime, Brampton Fire put an advertisement out for a firefighter.
“I applied for it and got it and the rest is history.”
He took the posting at the Brampton fire department, where he spent 34 years as a full-time firefighter, and retired as captain last year.
Callaghan joined the Erin fire department as fire chief in 2010.
He said it was time for him to retire.
“Sooner or later, it’s time to bring in new blood, new enthusiasm and things like that, and it was just time,” he said.
Mayor Allan Alls wished Callaghan well.
“Certainly in my term as mayor, he’s been a good support to me … and I think he’ll be missed and I wish him the best in his retirement,” said Alls.
Callaghan’s last day is Dec. 28 and he will assist with the transition to a new chief prior to officially retiring.
