Fire Department Staff

The Chief

If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting the new Chief of the Spring Arbor Fire Department, you would no doubt agree that he is a carefree, easy-going guy. If not, you should know that Chief Tim McEldowney is more than just a friendly face, he takes his new position as Fire Chief very seriously.

He moved to Spring Arbor from Parma with his family in 1990. At the urging of his friend, former Chief Dick Greenslade, Tim joined the fire department and trained in 1990 and 1991. Through the years he worked hard and gained the title of Safety Officer.

As the former President of Triple E Manufacturing in Parma, Tim was responsible for staffing, machinery purchasing, customer satisfaction; pretty much every aspect of the business. He’s sure to be missed after 20 years in the family-owned business.

Tim was born in Jackson County and attended and graduated from East Jackson High School in 1982. He and Debra have been married for 20 years and have two children, Whitney, 18 and Codi , 16. Debra is a registered nurse at the AWARE Shelter and started the Calhoun Chapter of S.A.N.E. (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) and also brought it to Jackson County. Daughter Whitney is in her freshman year at Michigan State University and plans to follow in mom’s footsteps and obtain a nursing degree also. Daughter Codi is attending Western High School and her main interest is classical Greek Mythology and plans to study and hopefully become a Professor of Religions and Greek Mythology.

When asked why he would give up 20 years in the family business and start over as Fire Chief, Tim states that he is compelled to serve his community. He likes meeting people in the township and says that unlike the police department, people are happy to see him! He recognizes that as Spring Arbor Township grows, the challenge will be upon him to balance the need for increased fire protection and still maintain the current volunteer status; a challenge he’s sure to be up to.