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Fire Underwriters Survey Recognizes Top Fire Chiefs, 2024

25 September 2024

The 2024 Canadian 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 2024. These awards are an excellent opportunity to recognize excellence in leadership in the fire sector.

2024 Career Fire Chief of the Year, Co-winner
Keven Lefebvre, Fire Chief
Leduc County Fire Service
Leduc County, AB

Involved in all aspects of the fire service as a long-standing firefighter and Fire Chief, Chief Keven Lefebvre was, until early 2024, involved in development of Alberta Provincial safety Codes (11 years on Fire Technical sub-committee, and three years on building codes sub-committee.)

Rising to be a Chief Officer, Chief Lefebvre put his varied experience to good use as he then joined the CAFC. He quickly became a board member, and is currently the Treasurer, the Chair of the Data Committee, and Chairs the Building Codes Committee for the CAFC. In this capacity, Chief Lefebvre has addressed Senate and assisted with National Fire Service Code related issues.

Finally, Chief Lefebvre is now also the CAFC rep on the International Codes Committee which helps develop international Fire Codes and deals with items of concern to the fire service across North America. Municipally, in addition to overseeing a fire service which includes 120 POC firefighters and as Leduc County prepares for an increase of 22,000 residents over the next 5-10 years (which is more than the current population), Chief Lefebvre has had oversight of three fire station builds in the past six years, introduced the first 24/7 truck into the Leduc County fire service and added Warburg fire department as a direct control district to the County.

2024 Career Fire Chief of the Year, Co-winner
Chief Paul Boissonneault
Oakville Fire Department
Oakville, ON

Chief Paul Boissonneault is a tireless champion of the fire service. He has been at the forefront of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at the Oakville Fire Department and at the Regional Level. Chief Boissonneault prioritizes the health and safety of management and staff and is committed to maintaining positive labour relations to achieve our collective goal. As a member of both the OAFC and CAFC Board of Directors, Chief Boissonneault has made significant contributions on fire service issues and for the advancement of public safety at the International, National, Provincial, Regional and Local levels.

2024 Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year
Rick Elder, Fire Chief
Dalmeny Fire and Rescue
Dalmeny, SK

Chief Rick Elder has made a very significant impact on not only the Dalmeny Fire Department, The Town of Dalmeny but even on larger local (and provincial) levels through his unmatched commitment to Dalmeny Fire and Rescue and the community it serves.

Chief Elder started with the Dalmeny Fire Department in 1990, rising through the ranks to become Fire Chief in 1997. In his 34 years on the department, he has managed to take a small department of only a few members, in an outdated hall with minimal equipment and transform it into a modern, professional department with strict training and professional standards, EMS, and advanced equipment and techniques.

Chief Elder has made all of these improvements at great personal expense- he spent 40+ hours a week working on improving and maintaining the department (before becoming a part time Chief only a few years ago, after which the hours he dedicated grew even more). This dedication has raised not only the standards in Dalmeny, but also the surrounding communities as well.

In April of 2023, Chief Elder was diagnosed with a large brain tumor at the base of his cerebellum which wrapped down his brainstem (Which may be linked to his career in the Fire Service). He went through brain surgery to have the tumor removed, and while the tumor was removed successfully, Chief Elder was in a coma for over 3 months, and now faces significant rehabilitation.

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

	Career Fire Chief of the Year	Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year
2023	Morgan Hackl, Fire Chief Saskatoon Fire Department	Dean Mineault Beausejour Brokenhead Fire Department
2022	John McKearney Whistler Fire Rescue Service	Danny McCallum Valleyview Fire Department
2021	Bill Boyes Brampton Fire and Emergency Services	Arnold Lazare Kahnawà:ke Fire Brigade
2020	Ken McMullen Red Deer Emergency Services	Randy Schroeder Mayerthorpe Fire Department
2019	Cameron Abrey Dauphin Fire Department	Judy Unsworth Wheatland County Fire Services
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