BX August 13, 1974
William Martin Lambert
William Lambert Dead at 78, Rose Through Ranks to Chief
William Martin Lambert, Brantford’s fire Chief from 1954 to 1961, died early today in the Brantford General Hospital.
He was born in Great Yarmouth, England on July 3, 1896, and came to Canada in 1910. He was employed at the Verity Plow Works in Brantford for a short time before serving in the First World War with the 125th Battalion. Later, he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps.
Mr. Lambert joined the Brantford Fire Department in 1919, rising through the ranks until he became chief. As a rookie, a big part of his job during the early years was the care and training of horses. He was the last surviving member of the eight-man crew that manned the East End Fire Hall which was closed in 1924. The East End Fire Hall was located where the Calbeck store now stands on Murray Street. It was opened in 1908.
He was one of the founders of the Brant County Mutual Aid Firefighters Association.
He was keenly interested in the Brantford Municipal Employees Credit Union and was instrumental in its growth both while he held the ranks of captain and chief. After his retirement, he served on the board of directors from 1966 to 1971.
He was a member of Reba Masonic Lodge, the Brantford Air Force Club, the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Brant County Fire Services Association. He was the first coordinator of the Brant-Norfolk Mutual Aid Fire Services.
He was a member of St. Jude’s Anglican Church.
He is survived by his wife, Jennie, a daughter, Mrs. Jack (June) Mars of Brantford, and a grandson, John of Toronto.
Funeral service will be held Friday at 2 p.m. from the Beckett-Glaves Funeral Home. Interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mr. Lambert was the fourth chief in the department’s history. He saw many changes during his firefighting career which spanned 42 years. He saw two modern fire halls built – the central hall on Greenwich Street and the St. Paul Avenue hall – and the introduction of motorized equipment. He also saw the ambulance service develop into one of the finest in the country. A full-time fire prevention bureau was born during the time Mr. Lambert was chief.
The big highlight of Mr. Lambert’s career came in 1943 when as a captain, he was credited with saving the life of a four year old boy trapped in a Market Street apartment. He fought his way through dense smoke, lifted the small boy from his bed, and carried him outside to safety.
