Paris Fire Fighter bids farewell to Department after three decades long career

Tom Waldschmidt steps into new position with Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office

By Casandra Turnbull

Some goodbyes are bittersweet. After nearly 36 years with the County of Brant Fire Department, Tom Waldschmidt has bid farewell to his local fire family and is ready to open a new chapter in his prosperous career.

From humble beginnings in 1989 to a respected authority figure in 2024, Waldschmidt is hanging up his Fire Prevention Officer hat and preparing to step into the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office as a Fire Investigator.

“I am thrilled to be moving on to the Office of the Fire Marshal as a Fire Investigator,” said Waldschmidt. “This move is bittersweet for me however I am looking forward to my new position ”

Over the decades he’s created so many fond memories with his close-knit family of fellow volunteer firefighters It’s hard to pinpoint his favourite moments, there’s been so many, but really, it’s been the “camaraderie outside of firefighting that stands out,” he shared. From Paris Fire Station hosted Children’s Christmas parties, firework displays at the fairgrounds for Canada Day to Paris Fair Demolition derbies, the memories are endless. As he recollects on these cherished moments, the sentence often starts the same way

‘Remember when…. ’

It's also those times spent giving back to the community that have helped shaped his family life outside the station.

“My children grew up understanding that community service was just something we did. Our kids could often be found helping out at events, sporting the Sparky outfit, handing out fire prevention swag, and earned a few high school hours putting hundreds of swag bags together ahead of Fire Prevention Week,” said Waldschmidt. The impact the department had on his family also led to the next generation of Waldschmidts donning the firefighting gear. His son Nick completed a co-op in high school with the Prevention Division and attended a fire during that placement. From that moment on, he was hooked.

Firefighting runs two generations deep in the Waldschmidt family. Tom, pictured above with his son Nick during his graduation from recruit class with the City of Oshawa.

Continued on page 8