The Eagle

Curtain call

40-year Romulus veteran named new Belleville chief

After four decades serving the City of Romulus, Fire Department Capt. John Thiede has accepted the top post in the Belleville department. Thiede officially took the oath of office in Belleville as the new fire chief last week.

Thiede served with the Romulus Fire Department for more than 40 years prior to his official retirement where, officials noted, he served “with a lifetime of dedication, leadership, and commitment to protecting the communities he serves.” Thiede is also a well-known professional actor with numerous stage and TV appearance to his name. Pursuing that avocation, he is also the owner and founder of the Hook & Ladder Theater Company in Romulus. The theater produces numerous performances and has become a popular attraction in the community.

Among the highlights of Thiede’s career is his rescue of the only survivor of the 1987 crash of Northwest Flight 255 near Metro Airport. In the wreckage and carnage of the crash, Thiede, a rookie in his first weeks on the job, discovered the tiny 4-year-old still strapped in her airplane seat. He has often said the incident was a defining moment in his life.

“It’s not the kind of thing you just forget. It was during that dark time that I turned to the theater as an outlet,” Thiede said. “When you’re on stage, you’re someone else. You’re telling a different story.” 

Thiede’s acting career includes a stint at Second City Theater in Detroit and he has appeared on Detroit 1-8-7 and All My Children. He also hosted the weekly sports show Sports Talk 60 on the Comcast Sports Channel, fulfilling a lifelong dream.  

Members of the Romulus Fire Department, city officials and several Belleville firefighters attended Thiede’s official swearing in ceremony last week.  Judge Brian Oakley of the 34th District Court administered the oath of office and Thiede asked retired Romulus Battalion Chief BC Simko to pin his new badge on his new Belleville uniform.

Thiede’s appointment to the part-time position was by a unanimous vote of the Belleville City Council members. He was chosen by a committee including the Belleville public safety director and two professional fire officials as the top candidate for the job which includes an annual salary of $25,000.