David Fleming

Fire Platoon Chief, Whitby, ON, 2007

Retired Platoon Chief, Whitby Fire Station, ON

One day in 1985, Dave received a letter that would change his life: an offer to work full-time in the Whitby Fire Department. He thinks back to “how lucky he was,” especially in comparison to the precarious work and exorbitant housing costs faced by his children’s generation.

“I was 24 years old. I was younger than my three kids are now and I had my career set for the next thirty years. And I already owned my first house. So, you compare that to where kids are nowadays, it’s quite a difference. I mean, I knew how fortunate I was to get on at the Fire Department. And I was determined to do well there. So, that was the start of my career.”

Dave stayed for thirty years, moving up through the ranks to Platoon Chief. Now retired, he has had time to reflect on the profound effects of this chosen career on his life. He has suffered compounded trauma and loss, the story of his career structured by a series of difficult calls and ever-more challenging responsibilities. At the same time, Dave has enjoyed the deep camaraderie among firefighters and the satisfaction of helping people in crisis situations. “Despite all the ups and downs, I wouldn’t change it for anything, you know. I’d go back and do another 30 years. It’s just, it’s special—there’s a special bond there.” This makes the adjustment to retirement especially hard. 

“It becomes a big part of your identity, you know, you're a firefighter, that's how you're known in the community. That's how people know you. That's how people see you. It's like a badge you wear. . . And for a lot of guys, it's hard to give up. It's very, very hard to give up . . . It's just the feeling that you're not one of the guys anymore, like when that truck leaves, you're not going to be on it anymore…”