Chief will stay on as NOTL volunteer firefighter

Niagara-on-the-Lake's fire chief Nick Ruller has resigned.

Ruller, who has been fire chief since 2019, has accepted a job as platoon chief for the City of Brampton.

Ruller first began working with NOTL fire in 1998, and took a career position with the City of Toronto in 2001. He returned to NOTL in 2017 as deputy chief and was promoted to chief in 2019. Since 2019, he has also served as regional fire co-ordinator for the Niagara Region.

“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,” said Lord Mayor Betty Disero, in a press release.

“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.”

NOTL's chief administrative officer Marnie Cluckie expressed her “sincere appreciation to Nick for his commitment, teamwork, and community focus.”

“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.”

Upon his resignation as chief, Ruller 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.

The town said a “robust recruitment process” will be initiated shortly to find a replacement, and “more information will be forthcoming regarding the appointment of an acting chief of fire and emergency services until the position is filled.”