Retirement Ends an Era for Weir Family

Baltimore County Assistant Fire Chief Mark Weir joked that while he is the youngest of his siblings, for years he outranked them all.

Weir, 54, retires today following a 33-year career in the Baltimore County Fire Department. He joins his brothers, former county firefighters Chris and Mike, in the retirement ranks, ending a chapter for one of Essex’s most well known families.

“There was trepidation in making this decision, but in the end I felt the timing was just right,” said Weir, a 1975 graduate.

Weir is the latest in the command staff of the county police and fire departments to take advantage of the . Those wishing to do so must make their intentions known by Dec. 30 and must retire by Feb. 29.

If accepted, employees can be credited for up to three years of additional service to their pension plan. The agency must then permanently close out the position or a similar one.

“I originally had it in my mind to stay in another two to six years, but the retirement benefit, along with changes in my life, made this the most opportune time to retire,” Weir said.

Weir got remarried on Nov. 11 and also has three grandchildren he would like to spend more time with on a regular basis. He said between his family and a backlog of home improvement projects he has planned for his Parkville home, he plans on staying very busy in retirement.

“I have enough to keep me occupied for at least two years,” Weir joked.

Rising Through the Ranks

While he is looking forward to retirement, Weir said he will miss the fire department, an organization where he moved steadily up the ranks over three decades.

Weir began his career in 1978 as a firefighter in Dundalk. After three years there, he moved on to Essex, where he spent six years before being promoted to lieutenant.

Weir then spent three years at Eastview before being promoted to captain of the fire marshal’s office in 1989. In 1992, he became battalion chief for the Investigative Services Division followed by becoming deputy chief of emergency operations in 1999. The following year, Weir rose to the rank of assistant chief, which he held until his retirement.

“The thing I’ll miss the most to the close-knit nature of the department,” Weir said. “I really have lived the dream for more than 30 years. Everyday you get to experience something different. You never know what to expect on this job.”

Weir said despite the county’s difficult budgetary issues , the department will fare just fine during this transition. There are many younger people prepared to step up to leadership positions, he added. Among those is Weir’s nephew, Chris Jr., who is a lieutenant at the Golden Ring station.

“The training of the firefighters and emergency medical services personnel is better than ever before,” Weir said. “The department has gone through transitions like this before and will do so again. This wasn’t unexpected and Chief [John] Hohman has done an exceptional job preparing for this time.”

No Politics for Now

Weir said he plans on keeping in touch with those in the fire department and pledges to offer his insight if needed. But one thing he has all but ruled out in retirement is the family’s other business: politics.

Weir’s brother, . Their father represented the community in the state legislature for 28 years prior to that.

“I enjoyed my time as dad’s campaign manager and stayed active in many Democratic and Essex organizations through the years,” Weir said. “But when the time came for dad to retire, we all felt the timing was best for Mike to run for the seat, and he’s done a great job since then.”