Beginning Nov. 6 the Cariboo Regional District will have a regional fire chief.
Roger Hollander, formerly chief of the 100 Mile House Fire Rescue, will be taking on the role.
Murray Daly, chief administrative officer with the CRD, said the creation of the position was recommended during a fire services review done in 2020.
Daly has talked to other regional districts in the province who have regional fire chiefs, but said the CRD is one of the only ones with 14 fire departments.
As the regional chief Hollander will be based out of 100 Mile, but will also work out of the CRD offices in Williams Lake and Quesnel, as well as going to the various fire halls in the region.
Hollander will be an employee of the CRD, with the position covered by everyone who contributes to the fire service function of the CRD.
“He will have that overall responsibility of providing support to our volunteer fire departments,” Daly said.
Leading up to becoming the regional chief, Hollander has a lot of “great experience,” and with 14 fire departments it will be good to have someone who has been on the ground and has background knowledge of the regional district, Daly said.
“He’s been in the area for a long time. With his experience being here in 2017 during the wildfires it will be good to have his support for our emergency operations centre as well.”
In a previous interview with Black Press, Hollander said there are 80,000 square kilometres in the CRD with more than 300 volunteer firefighters covering it.
“I’m looking to help do some relationship building between those 14 fire departments and the CRD.”
Thanks to spending eight years in 100 Mile House and nine before that as a volunteer with the Lac La Hache Volunteer Fire Department, Hollander said he is in a unique position to liaise with departments.
He noted proper training has been a key focus throughout his career and he plans to help the CRD’s departments achieve the standards set out by the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
“I’m there to support them rather than working against them, so I really hope I can establish that,” he said.
With files from Patrick Davies
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