Williams Lake Fire Chief Des Webster retired this week after 27 years of service to the city.
“It was a bit of a surprise, but it’s his decision,” said Mayor Walt Cobb of Webster’s retirement. “He will be missed. During the summer’s wildfires I don’t think we would have done as well as we did without him.”
Webster has been the fire chief for the last five years, following the retirement of longtime fire chief Randy Isfeld.
Isfeld will be filling in as fire chief while the city searches for a replacement.
Webster started his career with the city in the public works department and joined the fire hall as a paid-on-call firefighter in 1994.
Webster later took the position of fire inspector and eventually became the assistant chief in 2006. He was promoted to deputy chief in 2008.
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In May of 2016, Webster and his structural protection crew travelled to help tackle fires in Northern B.C.
At the time, Webster said 22 of the department’s 43 members had trained in structural protection.
Last summer was likely the biggest challenge of Webster’s career as wildfires burned close to Williams Lake in several directions from July 7 until September and then into other areas where his department went to assist for several weeks.
In an interview for the Tribune’s Firestorm special edition Webster said the fire hall became the emergency operations command centre, which was the intended design of the hall for if and when a big event happened.
“This building actually justified itself during the summer,” Webster said at the time.
Webster led his department during many notable fires in the lakecity, including the suspicious double fatality at the Lakeside Mobile Home Park in December 2016.
He was also responsible for bringing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder training to firefighters and their families.
