Long-time local fire chief Dave Boreen is calling time on his tenure as chief of the RDEK’s Elk Valley and South Country Rural Fire and Rescue Service.
Boreen has been a firefighter for 30 years including 13 years as fire chief with the RDEK, and is will be moving to a new role with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, which works province-wide for increased fire safety and awareness.
RDEK electoral area B director Stan Doehle thanked Chief Boreen for his service to the RDEK.
“Beyond the hundreds, if not thousands, of lives he has touched along the way, he has shown innovation, passion and leadership in moving our rural fire service forward.”
Boreen’s last official practice was on Thursday October 21, and members of the Jaffray, Baynes Lake, Elko and Hosmer Fire departments were out in force to give him a fitting farewell with their trucks lined up at the Jaffray fire hall as a surprise show of thanks.
“We are so grateful to have had someone of Dave’s calibre serving our region for so many years and are incredibly proud of what he has accomplished during his time with the RDEK’s Fire Service,” said Doehle.
“While we will miss him immensely, we wish him every success in his new career where he will continue to contribute to fire safety in the East Kootenay as a Fire Service Advisor with the Office of the Fire Commissioner.”
Boreen’s career so far has been steeped in advocating for fire safety and awareness.
Among his achievements in his career so far, Boreen was instrumental in establishing a new fire department in Elko. He’s also long advocated for the establishment of Sprinkler Protection Units (SPU) for rural areas, expanding training in wildland interface firefighting, supporting new training opportunities for firefighters and providing support and mentorship to his colleagues in the Kootenays and beyond.
Boreen has already been active with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, having been deployed through the office as an SPU Specialist on large wildfires in the West Kootenay and Vernon areas.
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