William "Bill" Brew
District Chief
Story
Bill began his career with the City of Toronto in the late 1940s after a distinguished career with The Royal Canadian Air Force as a Flight Lieutenant. He started out on the Aerial Trucks at #1 Station on Adelaide Street and soon found himself as the main driver for the Chief. A few years later he was promoted to Captain. He truly loved his job, the brotherhood and the men who worked for and with him. In the early 1970s he was promoted to District Chief, and shortly before he became ill was Acting Platoon Chief. Bill was a shy man with a wonderful smile who never looked for credit himself but would always recognize the greatness and courage of his men. His picture appeared in the Toronto Star in 1954 when he rescued a black lab from a burning home. He was well known for showing up at a fire to assess the situation before his crew even got there. Many times Bill and his family would be on the road and would hear a call on the "Band." All of a sudden, they’d be parked nearby an active fire. Bill was only stopping by to lend moral support to the crew, but always said "You can never have too many hands on deck.”
(Submitted by the Brew Family for the 2012 Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Ceremony)