City of Brandon Celebrates Retiring Fire Chief; Announces New Fire Chief Appointment

January 24, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – City of Brandon senior management and all staff are recognizing the 36-year career of Brandon Fire & Emergency Services Chief Brent Dane today, following Dane’s announcement of his upcoming retirement from the City of Brandon Corporation, effective February 1st, 2019.

Dane began his career with the City of Brandon as a probationary firefighter in 1983 and spent 18 years moving up the supervisory ranks of the department before becoming Deputy Fire Chief in 2001 and, later, the municipality’s 10th Fire Chief in 2005. Over the course of his career, Dane has seen many changes to Brandon Fire & Emergency Services (BFES) operations, noting that when he started, all that was required of staff was Basic First Aid skills and a Class Four Drivers Licence. Now, Dane says, BFES members are skilled paramedics who are able to administer pre-hospital patient care, often performing skills on emergency scenes that used to be strictly performed in an emergency room setting.

“As a dual fire/EMS service since 1917, I firmly believe that Brandon’s Fire & Emergency Services Department stands up to any other across Canada and, for me, being a firefighter in Brandon has been just the best job in the world,” says Dane. “Every day is something different, every day is an adrenaline rush, and every day, people thank us for our service. I am also very fortunate to have spent my entire professional career in my home community of Brandon and am extremely proud to be retiring as a City of Brandon employee.”

Dane point to his role as the project manager of the construction of the current No.1 Fire Hall on 19th Street North - which continues to win architectural awards for its innovative design and functional aesthetics - as a leadership highlight during his role as Chief. He also heralds his work, and that of all municipal employees during Brandon’s historic flood responses in 2011 and 2014, as hallmarks of service to community.

Thanks to a rigorous succession management plan well-established within Brandon Fire & Emergency Services, the City of Brandon is pleased to also announce the appointment of 34-year BFES veteran and current Deputy Fire Chief Scott McDonald into the role of Fire Chief, effective immediately following Dane’s departure. McDonald began his career with the department as a probationary firefighter in 1985 and was promoted into various supervisory roles (operations and staff management) in both fire suppression and emergency medical services before stepping into his current role of Deputy Chief in 2014.

“I am honoured to be taking on the role of Brandon Fire Chief from my colleague, Brent, and am confident that my many years of service within BFES will serve me well as I begin the next chapter in my career,” notes McDonald.  “The department has such a strong staff and I’ve been fortunate to have so many opportunities for development, and I am very much looking forward to this next opportunity I’ve been given.”

McDonald says one of his first priorities will be overseeing the process of backfilling his Deputy Chief position and getting his management team into place. He also points to the anticipated changes in BFES’s roles and responsibilities within the provincial EMS landscape as a challenge on the horizon, with an overarching priority of ensuring Brandon’s fire/EMS service remains sustainable.

On behalf of the entire City of Brandon Corporation, City Manager/CAO Rod Sage would like to take the opportunity today to wish retiring Chief Dane all the best in his retirement and to provide encouragement for incoming Chief McDonald in his leadership of Brandon Fire & Emergency Services’ 72 staff members.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Brent over the years, not just in my current role, but through my entire career with the City of Brandon and I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement years,” says Sage. ”Equally, I look forward to working with Scott, as I believe his leadership skills and abilities are well-aligned with my vision for not only Brandon Fire & Emergency Services, but also for the Corporation’s wider vision of serving and building community.”