Local 4126 President John Thiede wears many hats as a fire fighter, union leader, sports broadcaster, and family man. But it’s his first passion – acting – that has become a crucial part of his healing journey.
Thiede trained at Second City Theater in Detroit and 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.
In 1987, Thiede’s life changed forever when he responded to the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, one of Michigan’s deadliest disasters. As a rookie fire fighter, he helped rescue a 4-year-old girl, the only survivor of the crash.
While his heroic actions saved a life, the emotional weight of that day stayed with him.
“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.”
This holiday season, he starred in a community production of Miracle on 34th Street, playing Fred Gayley, a lawyer defending Kris Kringle. “It’s a fun, light-hearted role, which is a nice change. I get to be a little silly, have a laugh, and forget about everything else for a while,” Thiede said.
When you’re on stage, you’re someone else. You’re telling a different story.
local 4126 fire fighter John thiede
Despite a recent cancer diagnosis, Thiede has no plans of giving up on his passion for acting.
“It’s so important to find what you love to do, and a great example is a buddy of mine who retired as a battalion chief called me one day and said, ‘I don’t know what to do, I’ve just been sitting around the house.’ He didn’t feel like he had any other talents. So, I had him come in to read lines for a local project I was working on at my studio. We read together, and afterward, he told me it was the best thing he’d done in years,” said Thiede.
As he looks toward retirement in 2026, Thiede plans to stay active – while helping others find their own creative outlets.
“It’s been a long road,” Thiede said. “But I’ve learned that having something outside of work, whether it’s theater or something else, helps manage stress and process trauma. The fire service doesn’t always provide the best support systems for mental health, and it’s important for people in high-stress jobs to find something that gives them balance. For me, it was acting. It’s helped me be a better fire fighter, a better person, and I’m grateful for it every day,” he said.
