The best firefighter handlebar mustache may be right here in Garvin County.
Elmore City Fire Chief Will McLin is one of five finalists in the Fire Authority Firefighter Mustache Contest. His fellow firefighters nominated him for the contest, and the public voted online to narrow the field to the final five.
“I think it’s fun,” McLin said. “I didn’t realize how many people knew about it until people stopped me at Walmart to tell me they voted for me.”
As a finalist, McLin had to answer additional questions and submit more pictures of his mustache. Final voting will occur during this week’s Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indiana at the Galls vendor booth.
Even though McLin is unable to attend the conference, he is most excited for the bragging rights that have come with this honor. “For firefighters, that’s probably as good as anything else,” McLin said.
McLin’s father inspired his mustache growth.
“I’ve always had this goal in mind because my dad was a rancher and always had a big cowboy mustache,” he said. “I got serious three or four years ago and have been letting it grow wild ever since.”
Maintaining the mustache has been simple for McLin, as he does not use any particular products, does not cut it, and does not wax it. He does blowdry it and curl it.
“I just willed it into existence and put the scissors down,” McLin said.
McLin grew up in Elmore City. His ranch has recipient mares. He also works as an emergency room veternarian in Dallas.
McLin joined the fire department 16 years ago after helping with a large grass fire north of town near his own ranch.
Sometimes, he has been treating a patient when his firefighting pager would go off.
“They want me to go fight fires,” he said. “The community is very good about backing firefighters and emergency services.”
McLin only recently became chief of the entirely volunteer fire department.
“It’s a lot more responsibility for sure, but we’ve got a really tight crew here in Elmore, and they know what to do, and we have a brotherhood that makes it fun,” McLin said.
