Lloydminster Fire Rescue has welcomed Chad Penner as the new Assistant Fire Chief of public education, inspections and fire investigation.
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Penner, who grew up in southeastern Manitoba, brings 19 years of experience to Lloyd Fire Rescue. He began his career wanting to help those around him.
“We had a one-year-old daughter. I was looking at her one day, and I’m like, ‘You know what, if something were to happen to her I would not really have a clue how to help her,’” he said.
This thought manifested itself into a chance to find a new career.
“I actually kind of joined by accident,” said Penner. “I was talking to the Fire Chief, not really knowing he was a Fire Chief. He asked me to swing by the fire hall and I did.”
Penner quickly realized, with enough training, he’d be able to help people who really needed it.
“When I realized that with enough training and knowledge you could actually help people who were having a really bad day, that got me absolutely hooked and I haven’t missed a beat,” he said.
Moving into his new position, his focus will be on fire inspections.
“On the fire inspection side, we’re actually going to be rolling out a pre-incident plan where our frontline crews will actually go around (the community),” he explained.
“We’re going to start with the more higher hazard occupancies in town. Some of the oil companies, some of the places that are dealing with all kinds of chemicals, and do a pre-incident plan.
“If and when something goes wrong and we get called out there, we have a definite better understanding of what we’re getting into.”
He says he’s been steady with his inspections.
“I go to any place there’s been issues brought to the department, even when I’m out on a regular day. If I notice issues, I’ll go back and do an inspection,” said Penner.
He points to safety as being important to him.
“One of the parts about this position I really enjoy is being able to go into various places and businesses where most people can’t necessarily go into and make the place safer for, No. 1, the people that work there, and No. 2, the customers that are coming in,” he said.
Public education is also something that will fall under Penner’s duties, something he’s already very familiar with.
“I have a background in education. I spent 12 years full time at the Emergency Services College in Manitoba teaching firefighting,” he said, noting he spent four years as a casual instructor prior to going full time. “I’ve seen first-hand the benefit of education.”
Even now in Lloydminster, he says he’s had plenty of requests to talk to groups and schools about fire safety.
It’s this education stance that he brings into his day-to-day work.
“Even with the fire inspection thing, that’s how I approach it. It’s more on the education side than on the enforcement side,” said Penner. “Yes, we can enforce certain things, but if you come to a business owner or manager with education, they’re far more receptive.”
Initially, Penner says he didn’t have Lloydminster on his radar, but after seeing the job posting, he had the opportunity to spend a weekend in the Border City and the rest is history.
“Spending the day with Bill (Heesing) and talking to Don (Stang), they didn’t really have to sell the city a whole lot. This sounds really cliché but the city sells itself,” he said. “It is a very friendly community. When we moved here, within a week I had met all my neighbours. Everyone in this city is so incredibly friendly.”
Penner encouraged anyone with questions for him or the department to reach out, noting he is happy to assist however possible.
“If anybody has any questions about anything fire-department-related or inspection related, give the fire hall a call and they’ll transfer the call to me and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions that I can,” he said.
Residents with questions or inquiries can reach out to Fire Hall One at 306-825-6515.
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