Erick Peterson has been named the City of Abbotsford’s new fire chief.
The city made the announcement on Wednesday (Aug. 17) that Peterson will be leading Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service (AFRS) and begins in the role starting on Sept. 12.
Peterson was most recently the fire chief in Williams Lake since July 2018. That role also saw him oversee bylaws and emergency programs.
Prior to his time in Williams Lake, he was the emergency preparedness liaison captain, acting fire officer and a firefighter with the City of Delta. He worked with Delta from 2003 to 2018.
He has significant experience supporting emergency operation centres (EOCs), serving as the Cariboo Regional District’s EOC director and EOC planning section chief in 2017. Peterson also served as the EOC planning section chief for the Okanagan Indian Band in 2017.
Peterson assumes the role from former fire chief Darren Lee, who is now the fire chief of the District of Lake Country.
“On behalf of council and the City of Abbotsford, I would like to welcome our incoming fire chief, Erick Peterson,” stated Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun in a press release.
“With considerable experience in the types of emergencies our fire department responds to, we are fortunate to have such a respected and skilled individual joining the city to lead our first-class AFRS.”