Fire Chief Rob Simonds has announced his resignation effective March 14th to become the new fire chief in Hamilton, Ontario. Mayor Ivan Court concedes getting someone like him again will not be easy. He describes Simonds as the best of the best.
Simonds has been with the Saint John fire department for over 30 years and is currently serving as President of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
His departure comes at an awkward time because contract negotiations are being conducted with the Firefighters Association. The fire department is being limited to a one per cent increase in its budget this year and next.
Simonds became Chief in July of 2003, replacing Glen Tait who is now an M-L-A, and was responsible for developing the municipal emergency response plan for Canada's first liquified natural gas terminal at Canaport.
