Fort McMurray wildfire on resume of new Vernon deputy fire chief

VERNON – Vernon’s new deputy fire chief was on the frontline in the fight against the Fort McMurray wildfire last year.

Scott Hemstad will be in charge of prevention, training and logistics at Vernon Fire Rescue, according to a City of Vernon media release.

Hemstad comes to Vernon from Stony Plain, Alta. where he was the deputy fire chief.

He lead a team of firefighters in the early stages of the Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016 when things were “unpredictable, changing quickly and quite dangerous,” the release states.

“Scott is well known amongst his colleagues as an effective fire service leader,” interim Vernon fire chief David Lind says in the release. “He has a reputation for enthusiastically transforming systems and programs with a focus on serving the community.

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