Abbotsford – The City of Abbotsford announced that Mr. Darren Lee will be assuming the position of Fire Chief to lead the City of Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services division.
Mr. Lee will start his new role on March 15, 2021 and joins the City from the Township of Langley where he most recently held the role of Deputy Chief responsible for Training and Special Operations. He also previously served as Chief Officer with the City of West Kelowna and the District of Oak Bay.
Lee holds a Bachelors degree from the Justice Institute of British Columbia and has been an active member of the British Columbia Fire Training Officers Association. His background includes working with provincial fire academies as an adjunct instructor for the past 20 years. This work has allowed him to work with a wide range of First Nations and municipal fire service agencies throughout British Columbia. He has also served the Province of British Columbia through the Structure Protection Program since 2006 and has been deployed on numerous large wildland urban interface incidents across the Province.
Lee assumes the role as former Fire Chief Don Beer retires following 22 years of outstanding service with the City. Under Beer’s leadership, Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services has seen numerous successes including: the development of a Fire Master Plan as part of the City’s Plan 200K Project; partnering with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during the Avian Influenza outbreak to coordinate the City’s response; developing a proactive EOC Freshette response process that is self-sustaining; and, supporting development of the City’s COVID-19 response plan.
Henry Braun, Mayor of Abbotsford:
“On behalf of Council and the City of Abbotsford, I would like to thank Chief Don Beer for his long-service to the community, and we wish him every success as he embarks on the next chapter of his life. Our incoming Fire Chief, Darren Lee has had a long and distinguished career across the Province, and the City of Abbotsford is fortunate to have such a respected and experienced individual joining the City to lead our first class Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services.”
