Deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood is leaving his job at the Vernon Fire Department.
Image Credit: FILE PHOTO
November 21, 2016 - 9:30 AM
VERNON - There’s movement within a number of upper level jobs at the Vernon Fire Department, but Mayor Akbal Mund says the public has nothing to worry about.
Among the changes are the departures of deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood, emergency services coordinator Helen Sinclair and administrative assistant Liz Thomson. In addition, fire chief Keith Green has been on leave since the end of September.
Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund says the departures are unrelated and simply occurred ‘all at once.’ He’s reassuring the public that service will remain the same.
“These are all upper level jobs and I know it could be a concern,” Mund says. “The key to all of this is there’s no service interruption with the quality of service provided by the professional firefighters. With the firefighters there’s been no change. They are the ones who go out there and make the community safe.”
David Lind, former deputy fire chief in Cranbrook and Medicine Hat, has been hired to serve as interim fire chief until Chief Green returns. After that, he will take on former deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood’s job. The fire hall has two deputy fire chief positions. The other is currently filled by deputy fire chief Jack Blair.
The City of Vernon welcomed Lind as interim fire chief in a news release issued today, Nov. 21, at 2:30 p.m. In the release, Lind says he is excited about the opportunity to join Vernon Fire and Rescue Services.
"(It) has a reputation for providing excellent service to the community and I’m coming into the service at a time when I’ll be able to help shape plans that will build on this success well into the future,” Lind says in the release.
His philosophies for emergency management include ensuring crews are provided with the resources for mental readiness as well as physical readiness, particularly when responding to critical incidents.
“Our people are our biggest resource and biggest asset,” Lind says in the release. “Mental readiness ensures we are as strong as we can be.”
Interim Vernon Fire Chief David Lind.
Image Credit: City of Vernon
The administrative assistant position has also been filled already. Jody Barrie, from the city’s finance department, will start her new job at the fire hall this week.
Sinclair will stay on as emergency services coordinator until the end of the year, after which the city will be looking for a new person.
“In the short term, David Lind will fill that role as he has experience in emergency services,” Mund says.
Mund would not comment on why Chief Green has been on leave, or why deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood is leaving.
“I’m not privy to that decision,” Mund says.
Sinclair and Thomson are moving on for personal reasons, Mund says.
— This story was updated at 2:37 p.m., Monday, Nov. 21, 2016 to include information from a City of Vernon media release.
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