City of Red Deer is getting a new fire chief.
Ken McMullen is taking over from Brian Makey, who has held Red Deer Emergency Services’ top job since October 2014. He resigned last September and the city has been looking for his replacement since.
“I am excited to join the Red Deer team,” says McMullen, who starts on Feb. 5.
“This new role will give me an opportunity to not only provide leadership and contribute to public safety and emergency services in Red Deer, but also to grow and learn from my future colleagues as I guide the department in its emergency response for Red Deer.”
McMullen comes to Red Deer from the City of Calgary, where he is currently the assistant chief with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency. Before that, he was assistant deputy chief with the Calgary Fire Department for eight years.
In addition to his role as assistant chief, McMullen also serves as a member of Canada Task Force 2, an all-hazards disaster response team. He is a current board member with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), an independent, non-profit organization that represents the three major types of fire departments in Canada.
With more than 21 years of experience, McMullen has held the roles of firefighter, fire instructor, fire inspector, fire investigator, assistant deputy chief and assistant chief.
However, his experience is not solely limited to firefighting. McMullen has provided leadership in disaster relief efforts all over the country, including but not limited to, the 2106 Fort McMurray fires, 2013 Calgary floods and 2011 Slave Lake fires.
“We look forward to having McMullen take over his role as emergency services manager/fire chief next month, and we thank the many city staff who took on additional duties and responsibilities during the recruitment process,” says Paul Goranson, Protective Services Director.
For more information about Red Deer Emergency Services go to www.reddeer.ca/emergencyservices.
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