Former Kingston, N.S., chief ‘poured his heart and soul into the fire service’

Every night for more than two decades, Watson Armstrong had a portable radio on his nightstand just in case there was an emergency in Kingston.

As fire chief, he was always at the ready, always willing to go the extra mile to help someone in need.

While the passion to help others remains, that portable radio isn’t part of his nightly routine anymore.

Armstrong is winding down his time with the Kingston District Fire Department after serving 46 years, the last 22 as chief. In the fall, a selection committee chose another firefighter for the top spot.

“I can hold my head up high. I didn’t do anything wrong. I left (the department) in, what I think is, a better place than what it was when I joined,” said Armstrong while sitting in his dining room on a sunny January afternoon.

Armstrong made a Facebook post on New Year’s Eve that said at midnight, he would officially be removed as chief. Despite rumours to the contrary, he did not retire.

The post sparked hundreds of reactions, comments and shares, with emergency first responders, residents and acquaintances thanking him for his service and dedication, and questioning what transpired.

How it started

Armstrong officially joined the Kingston District Fire Department in March 1978 at the recommendation of his friend Jim McMaster, who would later be the best man at Armstrong’s wedding.

Armstrong said the Greenwood Shopping Plaza fire in 1976 initially sparked his interest in signing up.

“Firefighters were heroes at that time. All my friends were on the fire service, so I joined,” he said.

Armstrong worked his way up the ranks and served as deputy chief when McMaster was the chief. He was then elected chief after McMaster retired.

When he first joined the roll call, he never imaged he would still be there 46 years later.

“I think 15 years would be a milestone in today’s fire service,” Armstrong said, noting how much it has changed over the last four decades.

“It’s more demanding today,” he said, noting there’s more medical calls, more residential, commercial and carbon monoxide alarms, more motor vehicle collisions, and more time spent in meetings.

Still, the camaraderie, the networking, the ability to help others and create positive change keeps it fun and engaging.

The number of lives Armstrong has impacted is vast.

“I can drive down the street and I can go, ‘I was in that house; I was at a house fire here; we did a cardiac arrest here.’ After 46 years, you realize you’ve responded to a lot,’ said Armstrong.

“Some I don’t like to go back to. I’ve seen all kinds of nasty things; (but also) nice things. You take the good with the bad.”

Armstrong’s daughter, Allison Ruggles, and son, Patrick Armstrong, also served as firefighters with the Kingston department. His wife, Martha, is a Kings County councillor.

Dedicated to helping

Paul Maynard, a deputy fire chief in Hantsport, has known Armstrong for about as long as Maynard has been a firefighter – about 30 years. Maynard said he not only considers Armstrong a mentor, but a friend.

“He led with professionalism, compassion and he has an all-round calmness no matter what the situation was,” said Maynard.

“As an example of his character, anytime we have a significant call – in Hantsport, West Hants or Kings County – whether it was a serious motor vehicle accident or a large or difficult fire, Chief Armstrong always reached out via text or phone call just to check in. His first concern was always our firefighters and he wanted to make sure everyone was doing alright following the event.”

Maynard described Watson as someone who would step up to help without giving a second thought.

“Watson poured his heart and soul into the fire service, so I was saddened to learn that he would no longer be the chief in Kingston,” Maynard said, noting it wasn’t his place to weigh in on the selection process for chief or question the decision.

Armstrong said one of the things he’ll miss the most about being chief is the networking opportunities with like-minded individuals, and his involvement on various committees and organizations.

Since its inception, Armstrong has served as the chairperson of the fire advisory committee for Kings County. He was also the vice-president of the Kings County Fire Association.

“Operationally, because of distance, we didn’t get a tremendous number of opportunities to work directly on fire scenes together but from an administrative perspective in the fire service we were able to work closely on many committees and events throughout his career,” said Maynard, noting one of his highlghts was working with Armstrong on two occasions to bring the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association annual general meeting to Kings County.

Always helping

Maynard noted that when West Hants was impacted by severe flooding in July 2023 and members were facing a potential secondary flooding disaster in Windsor, Armstrong stepped in to help.

“Most of our leadership in the area was simply exhausted after almost 24 hours of very stressful operations. We brainstormed who could come help provide relief and Chief Armstrong’s name was one of the first names brought forward,” said Maynard.

“I made a call to see what his availability was and within an hour he had equipment and resources coming our way. To drop everything to come help a community miles away, shows the type of person he is.”

Kingston firefighters were also involved with helping douse the wildfires in Shelburne and Barrington last year. That was another career highlight, Armstrong said, as he was an incident commander at Barrington’s C&D Landfill fire and praised the collaborative effort.

The Capital Paper building fire in July 2013 was another call Armstrong said he won’t soon forget. Three teens were arrested in relation to the suspicious fire that resulted in a massive fire suppression effort.

“If it wasn’t for our mutual aid system and our guys, our firefighters in Kingston, it would’ve been a lot worse than what it was.”

Future plans

As for what the future holds for Armstrong, he said it involves relaxing. He intends to drive his motorcycle more, golf and finally spend the night in his family’s trailer, located in Clementsport, during the warmer months.

Armstrong said while he’s still volunteering with the station, his time there is winding down. He said McMaster provided advice when Armstrong was taking over as chief that he’s been reflecting on.

“When I took over from him, he said, ‘When it’s time for you to go, leave. Don’t hang around,’” Armstrong recalled. “Because even if you take a break, someone is going to come back and say, go talk to him; he was the chief for 22 years, and I don’t want that. That’s not fair to the other chiefs and other officers. They have to be able to go on their own.”

Although he would like answers before hanging up his helmet for the final time, he said he’s enjoying taking the step back, only responding to some calls and sleeping without the portable radio next to the bed.

“To be honest with you, right now, I’m actually loving it. I don’t have to respond. I don’t have to worry about meetings. I respond when I want to.”