Strathroy-Caradoc in Good Hands There’s a new chief in town. Brad Bigrigg happily stepped out of semi-retirement and into the position of Strathroy-Caradoc’s Interim Fire Chief, effective March 31, 2025. Brad will remain at the department’s helm for up to six months while Council searches for a perma - nent Fire Chief. As the Interim Fire Chief, Brad provides leadership and support for the team of 80 volunteer firefighters, who are trained and provincially certified as the community’s first responders. “My focus is to ensure that we’re all moving in the same di - rection regarding service delivery and safety,” Brad says. “I also respect that our volunteer firefighters give gener - ously of their time, and I want them to feel supported.”
Hometown Strathroy- Caradoc Issue #53 May 2025 Your local community connector The 100% locally owned and produced Hometown Strathroy- Caradoc is published ten times a year with thousands delivered free to area residences, set out at local venues, and posted online at www.villagerpublications.com Publisher & Editor: Barb Botten P.O. Box 134, Lambeth Station Ontario N6P 1P9 Barb@villagerpublications.com 519-282-7262 Content Manager: Lynne WIlliams All articles by Lynne Williams unless noted otherwise Graphic Artist: Jon Botten Advertising: Gloria Rae Gloria@villagerpublications.com 519-495-4564 Debbie Mindorff Debbie@villagerpublications.com 519-870-3203 Copyright @ 2015 Villager Publications. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Publisher. Information presented has been compiled from sources believed to be accurate at the time of printing however the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. We’d love to hear from you. Contact Barb at Barb@villagerpublications.com Firefield Landscape Supply Ltd. in Strathroy
Chief Brad Bigrigg
Brad loves working with volunteer firefighters because of their sense of community. “The people who join are there to give back to the community, and help people,” he explains. “They also have a ‘get it done’ attitude. They quickly identify the problem and implement the best solutions for resolving it.” While Brad began his career as a police officer in Halton Region, Ontario, he has spent the last 42 years leading volunteer fire departments across Southwestern Ontario. He was first introduced to firefighting when he became a volunteer firefighter while working on the police force. When a fire marshal position opened, Brad applied because it meant regular hours, which suited his young family at the time. Over his career, Brad held progressively more senior positions until he became Caledon's Fire Chief, where he stayed until 2012. His last job was as Interim Fire Chief in Mapleton before he retired in May 2024. While the work is challenging, Brad finds it immensely rewarding. “You feel an immediate sense of gratification knowing that you’ve made a difference when you do your job right,” he explains, recalling one call he attended. An eight-year-old boy had his head pinned in a car accident: “I’ll never forget the fear on his face, then the look of happiness and relief once I got him released.” Nominative determinism is the idea that people gravitate toward areas of work that reflect their names. With all his years of experience, it’s not hard to imagine Brad Bigrigg at the wheel of a fire truck – or department – rushing to an emergency. Fire safety starts at home · Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working. · Change removable batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors twice a year. · Replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with built-in batteries every 10 years. · Create an emergency escape plan and make sure the entire family knows it. · Once you’re out of a burning building, stay out.
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Page 4 Hometown Strathroy-Caradoc May 2025
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