Interim Fire Chief Appointed for Saugeen Shores

Town Council appoints Brian Johnston to fill fire chief role

On Monday, November 8, Town Council appointed veteran Station Chief and Fire Officer, Brian Johnston, as the new interim Fire Chief for Saugeen Shores. Chief Johnston will replace Phil Eagleson who is moving to a position with the City of Owen Sound.

Chief Johnston has 41 years experience in the fire service. He started with the Southampton Fire Department in 1980 and rose through the ranks becoming a Captain. In 2007, following amalgamation, he was promoted as the Southampton District Station Chief. He was hired as the full-time Training Officer for Saugeen Shores in 2019.

In addition to Johnston’s appointment, Rob Atkinson will be taking on an increased role as the Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for the municipality. Atkinson has been with the Fire Department since 2003 and received his Emergency Management Ontario 300 designation in 2017. For the past few years, he has been a Station Chief for the Town.

“Brian and Rob are no strangers to Saugeen Shores Fire Services. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise,” said Mayor Luke Charbonneau. “It was an easy decision to appoint Brian as our new Chief, and we thank him and Rob for their commitment to the organization and for stepping up at this time.”

“I am excited by my new role as Fire Chief,” said Johnston. “We have a well trained and dedicated group of firefighters. I hope to expand on our fire prevention and public education programs, and I look forward to working closely with Rob to enhance the safety of our community.”

Chief Johnston’s full bio is included below. Learn more about the Town of Saugeen Shores Fire Department and public education efforts.

Brian Johnston bio

Brian Johnston started with the Southampton Fire Department in 1980 and rose through the ranks becoming a Captain. Following amalgamation, he was promoted to the SSFD Southampton District Station Chief in 2007.

In 2000, Brian joined the Guelph Fire Department as a firefighter. In addition to being an acting Captain, he was a member of the HazMat team and certified as a HazMat technician.

He joined the Guelph Fire Prevention Bureau in 2016 and was responsible for Fire Code inspections/enforcement, public education, and fire origin and cause investigations. He is a National Fire Protection Association certified Fire Inspector, member of the National Association of Fire Investigators, and a certified fire and explosives investigator.

Brian has a long history of training firefighters to improve their skills so they can do more for the communities they help protect.

Brian became the Town of Saugeen Shores full time Training Officer in 2019.