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Fire Underwriters Survey & the CAFC National Awards 2019 Recipients

06 November 2019

The 2019 Fire Chief of the Year awards were presented by Fire Underwriters Survey during the Awards Gala at the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs’ annual conference, Fire-Rescue Canada. These awards are a wonderful opportunity to recognize excellence in leadership in the fire sector and


Career Fire Chief of the Year Cameron Abrie Dauphin Fire Department	Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year Fire Chief Judy Unsworth Wheatland County

"Both of our Fire Chiefs of the Year are mandated to protect the lives and property of their citizens. To do so effectively, they must be committed to training, public education, appropriate equipment and a constant drive to find ever-better ways of doing things,” CAFC’s President, Fire Chief Ken Block observed. "More than anything else,” he added, "they have equally shown themselves to be true leaders.”

There are 3,500 fire departments in Canada and 108,000 firefighting personnel. Volunteers comprise 91 percent of all departments and 77 percent of total personnel.

For more information on the Award and Award Criteria, please see the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Website

Fire Underwriters Survey & the CAFC National Awards: Past Recipients

	Professional Fire Chief of the Year	Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year
2018	Fire Chief Pierre Voisine of Cornwall Fire Department	Fire Chief Dale Ashbee Neebing Emergency Services
2017	Fire Chief Tim Armstrong New Westminster Fire & Rescue Service	Fire Chief Alain Nadeau Le Broqueri Fire Department
2016	Fire Chief Stephen Gamble, ECFO Township of Langley Fire Department	Fire Chief Cecil Kerr Gillam Volunteer Fire Department
2015	Fire Chief Daniel Brazeau Service incendie MRC d'Autray	Fire Chief Edward Bryan Atonable South-Monaghan Department of Fire & Emergency
2014	Division Chief Gordon Routley Montreal Fire Department	Fire Chief Gerald Jones Petitcodiac Fire Department
2013	Fire Chief Ken Block Edmonton Fire Rescue Service	Fire Chief Jerrold Lemko Vegreville Fire Department
2012	Fire Chief Bruce Burrell Calgary Fire Department	Fire Chief Harry Farrell New Maryland Fire Department
2011	Directeur Gilles la Madeleine Sécurité incendie de Beloeil	Fire Chief Charlie Boyte, CFO Pender Island Fire Rescue
2010	Fire Chief Gord Schreiner Comox Fire Rescue	Fire Chief Miles Boulter Chief Instructor of the Prince Edward Island Firefighters School
2009	Fire Chief Les Karpluk Prince Albert Fire Department	Fire Chief DanThorsteinson, Selkirk Fire Department
2008	Fire Chief William Stewart Toronto Fire Services	Fire Chief Bill Higgs Sechelt Chief Fire Officer
2007	Fire Chief Randy Wolsey Director of Community Protection for the Mohawk of Kahnawake Territory	Terry Diabo Founding President the Aboriginal Fire Fighters Association of Canada
2006	Fire Chief Serge Tremblay Montreal Fire Department	Fire Chief Glen Sanders Shawnigan Lake Volunteer Fire Department
2005	Fire Chief Donald Warden Wasaga Beach Fire Department	Fire Chief David Guilbault Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service
2004	Fire Chief Terry Allen Cambridge Fire Department	Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Levy Marsh Lake Yukon Territories
2003	Deputy Fire Chief John de Hooge Oakville Fire Department
2002	Fire Chief Wayne Morris Calgary Fire Department	Fire Chief Robert Prima Grenfell Fire Department