Northville Township Firefighter/Paramedic Jeff Sims to Retire

Northville Township Firefighter/Paramedic Jeff Sims, one of the most beloved ambassadors for the Department, will retire this month after 20 years in the fire service, including 17½ years with the Northville Township Fire Department. His final shift is Dec. 8.

He still remembers the exact moment the idea of this career first took root.

He wasn’t a kid staring up at a fire engine or a teenager hanging around a firehouse. He was a college student at a Halloween party and his future seemed scary.

“I was at Eastern Michigan, not really knowing what I was going to do with my life,” he said.

A friend from his hometown of Taylor, Russell McNamee, who was working for the Taylor Fire Department, told him about his own career, including the work, the teamwork, the benefits and the life of a firefighter.

“That planted the seed,” Sims said. “I remember the house we were at, the people standing in the circle.” Without that interaction, “I wouldn’t have pursued this career. I wouldn’t have landed here.”

The Search for the Right Fit

He fought it at first. After graduating from Eastern, where he earned a double major in political science and communication, his first job wasn’t in a firehouse, but at the American Cancer Society. He worked as a community and volunteer organizer, honing his people skills, which stood out his entire career. He was the guy who coordinated Relay for Life and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events, lining up volunteers, planning fundraisers and living behind a desk more than he liked.

“It was good work, but it just wasn’t for me,” he said. “I didn’t want to be in an office all the time. I knew I wanted to help or be in public service in some way, but I didn’t quite know the format.”

His Taylor firefighter friend gave him a curriculum to follow to explore his future. He began taking classes at Schoolcraft College, to be an emergency medical technician (EMT), then in the fire academy and eventually a paramedic, all while still working full time.

“I’d work at the Cancer Society during the day, then go to the part-time fire academy a couple evenings a week and all-day Saturday,” he said. “You just kind of hustle once you figure out the direction you’re going.”

In January 2005, he left the American Cancer Society and started two new jobs almost at once: as a tech in the emergency room at what was then Oakwood Annapolis Hospital in Wayne and as a firefighter with Van Buren Township, where he began in 2005.

“Pretty early on, I knew this was the right path,” he said.

Having His Teammates’ Backs

He joined Northville Township in July 2008. Over the past two decades, Sims served as both firefighter and paramedic, as well as on the Department’s union executive board. In addition, he helped launch Northville Township’s elementary school fire safety education program for kindergartners and now fourth grade. He bonded instantly with the students. He also played an early role in bringing firefighter peer support and wellness concepts into the Department. He’s always been there for his teammates.

Above all, it's his kindness and gentle demeanor that made a lasting impression.

“He is loved by everyone inside and outside of our organization,” said Fire Chief Brent Siegel. “Jeff is a true ambassador. He brings everyone together.”

This reputation was well known in the Northville Township Police Department, too.

“If I was on a call with someone who needed medical attention and was uncooperative, I would look around to see if Jeff was on scene,” said Police Lt. Patrick Reinke. “He is so naturally good with people and would bring calm to any situation.”

Family Matters

More than two decades later, he’s now on a new path. Sims, 44, is choosing to retire now to spend more time with his family. He and his wife, Sarah, a nurse anesthetist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, have three daughters, ages 11, 9 and 8. This new role includes full-time dad, project manager and family “organizer-in-chief.”

He’s going to miss it, he admits.

During his Northville Township career, Sims has responded to thousands of calls for service, from medical emergencies and structure fires to public education events in the schools and the Department’s fall Open House.

He says what stands out most are the relationships built over time with his co-workers and Township residents.

“A friend once told me, ‘You’re really living with people in this job,’ and that’s true,” Sims said. “We’re in people’s homes on some of their hardest days. You see families through illnesses, emergencies, even loss. You end up being a small part of their story, and they become part of yours.”

Sims notes that Northville Township residents are especially generous in expressing appreciation.

“From what I hear from friends in other agencies, the volume of thank-you notes, cards and small gestures we get here is unique,” he said. “We’re really thankful for that. It creates a strong sense of community.”

The strong community bond includes his colleagues, too.

"We experience this unique profession as a team, over years,” he said. “In many cases, we grow up, or old, together. Those years and experiences bond us. I'll miss that the most. Sharing meals, sharing easy and challenging days, and life experiences with the crew. There are so many good people at NTFD that I've benefitted from sharing the station with. I'm sad to lose that, but thankful to have had it all."

“I’ll miss the people here, for sure. I’ll miss the residents. I’ll miss coming in every day,” he said. “But it’s a good opportunity to be where I’m needed most right now – at home.

“I don’t plan to vanish. I hope to come back for events, see the crew for coffee or breakfast and stay connected. This place and this community have been a big part of my life.”