At the 2024 Canadian Fire Alarm Association Annual General Meeting, I had the honor to be elected as the President of the CFAA National Board of Directors. As I am new to this position, I thought an introduction was in order.

I started in the fire industry in 1998 as a fire extinguisher technician in Brandon, Manitoba. A year later I started working on fire alarm systems and enrolled in the CFAA fire alarm technician program, which was still relatively new at the time. Over the course of the next 25 years, I’ve worked as a technician, sales rep, and currently as a manager with Troy Life & Fire Safety in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Sometime around 2010 I got involved in the Saskatchewan chapter of the CFAA. Becoming the chapter president allowed me to sit on the CFAA National Board of Directors. As a guy from the prairies, it was an eye-opening experience to meet and work with people who were legends in the industry. Although it took a bit to feel like I belonged, it was a great opportunity to participate in CFAA committees and have a voice in our industry. After holding 2nd Vice President and Vice President roles, I am excited for this opportunity to serve the CFAA as the first President, and first from Western Canada.

I’ve also had the privilege to chair our Strategic Planning Committee. This committee’s goal is to develop the CFAA’s road map to meet the needs of our technicians, members, and other industry stakeholders. We have some ambitious goals, and a lot of work to do. We are looking to expand our education offerings, gain greater recognition for the work our technicians do every day, and help to recruit new technicians into our workforce.

Helping to lead these efforts is a challenge I embrace and do not take lightly. You might wonder what makes me qualified for this position, and it’s a fair question. I’ve held a lot of different roles in this industry, and I am still a registered technician. Although I’ll admit I’m not the technician you want to program a complex network, I do understand the life of a fire alarm tech and enjoy the challenge of a ground fault every now and then. That being said, my typical day to day job is working towards common goals and solving problems in my little corner of the fire alarm industry. This role will also require collaboration and problem solving with knowledge of the fire alarm industry, but on a much larger scale.

The great news is that all of this doesn’t fall on the shoulders of a guy from Saskatchewan. The CFAA has the support of our board of directors, Provincial chapters, standing committees and other volunteers across the country, not to mention the talented ladies we have at the Markham office. The knowledge and experience around the virtual table when these groups meet is truly impressive. It’s an incredible resource, and together I know we can accomplish a lot.

Whatever we achieve will be for the benefit of our technicians, members, and others who work in our industry. If you’re reading this, that probably means you fit in there somewhere. The board, chapters and committees volunteer countless hours towards achieving the goals of the CFAA for all of you. Whatever success we achieve will be because of that combined knowledge and effort. It’s both humbling and an honor to help lead this group and to serve all of you.

Thank You.