Kelowna promotes from within fire department for new chief

As Kelowna's fire chief leaves for a job in Yukon, the city has found his replacement from within the ranks.

Deputy fire chief Dwight Seymour will step into the roll as fire chief on Feb. 19, according to a City of Kelowna media release issued today, Jan. 31.

Outgoing fire chief Travis Whiting has accepted the fire chief job for the Whitehorse Fire Department in Yukon.

“Dwight has deployed to support a number of provincial emergencies over the past few years in leadership positions,” city director of protective service Stu Leatherdale said in the release. “I know Dwight’s passion for safety and leadership development will position him well for his new role.”

Seymour has been with the Kelowna Fire Department since 2021 as an assistant chief and then as deputy chief of operations since 2022.

His experience includes serving as the deputy fire chief in Vernon and in Okotoks, Alberta.

He holds a Diploma in Business Administration and graduated from the Los Angeles Fire Department Leadership Academy.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Gabrielle Adams or call (438) 830-1211or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

Gabrielle Adams

As a political scientist interested in social justice issues and current events, I hold topics of
politics, inequalities, community news, arts, and culture close to my heart. I find myself
privileged to be reporting local news, because local journalism is where us citizens go to get
access to information and news that directly impact our livelihoods. That is what I love about
it; I believe journalism to be the most important part for our community to be aware,
informed, and tightly bonded by the knowledge of what is happening around us. I am a fierce
believer in journalism being the fourth power of a democracy because, famously, knowledge
is power, and journalism puts that power in the hands of our community so that we can
continue growing, building bonds between each other and continuously keep learning about
ourselves.

More Articles