The former head of the Whistler Fire Rescue Service has been named the 2022 Canadian Fire Chief of the Year.
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) presented John McKearney with the honour at a ceremony in Ottawa this month. McKearney left the position as Whistler's fire chief in July after announcing his retirement. He began his tenure in Whistler in 2018.
McKearney was recognized for "going above and beyond his expected duties" while leading the Whistler's fire department, according to a release Friday from the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW). "Here in Whistler, McKearney's tenure saw him provide leadership toward community and firefighter safety through the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying alternate operational approaches for new COVID protocols and helping the department through ongoing change. Throughout this period, he kept constant focus on ensuring the department is also more prepared to deal with both structural and wildland-urban interface firefighting."
A former CAFC president, his tenure there, which began in 2020, was spent "advocating for policy to advance community and firefighter safety at a national level," the RMOW noted.
“I would like to congratulate John and to thank him for his extraordinary work leading the Whistler Fire Rescue Service,” said Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton in the release. “Whistler is vulnerable to wildfire and John’s work both for our community, and on a national level, has been critical to further public safety and emergency preparedness.”
Before his time in Whistler, McKearney worked for the Vancouver Fire Rescue Service for 37 years, first as a firefighter, before moving up the ranks to lieutenant on the rescue squad and as a training officer. He was later promoted to deputy chief and then to fire chief with the City of Vancouver.
McKearney holds an honourary life membership with the Fire Chiefs’ Association of British Columbia and the Marie Rogan Lifetime Achievement Award for his service as Director of the Pacific Northwest Preparedness Society.
Thomas Doherty was appointed as Whistler's new fire chief this summer and began in the post in July.
