After nearly two decades in the position, Lake Country Fire Chief Steve Windsor is just days away from retirement.
Windsor said he knew at a young age he wanted to fight fires, working his way to chief.
鈥淚 think probably after I got into Lake Cowichan, I started to move up there. I鈥檇 been a captain in central Saanich and I became a deputy fire chief in North Cowichan,鈥� Windsor said. 鈥淢yself, and there was another individual there at the time, we were both kind of, 鈥榟ey, that looks like a good career path to move down鈥�. So, he is subsequently a fire chief in Mill Bay on the island and I got the fire chief position here.鈥�
During his many years of service, Windsor is prideful in the new building for Station 71.
鈥淚 enjoy, strangely enough, working on budgets. I really enjoy working on new acquisitions, new trucks especially. The municipality basically let us replace the whole fleet since I鈥檝e been here, so we鈥檝e purchased around 13 trucks.鈥�
As he steps back, Windsor hopes to spend more time travelling with his wife.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 just going to hang up the keys and walk away and call it a career. I鈥檓 definitely looking at some other options that are out there, and with the way things appear in the environment and in nature we look like we鈥檙e - maybe not necessarily this year - but long-term we鈥檙e probably heading into having issues with wildfires and floods and that. I鈥檓 looking at a couple of opportunities that are out there and we鈥檒l see if those come to fruition.鈥�
Windsor noted he is more than happy to help if called upon.
The department is interviewing for a new chief, but are yet to fill the position.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a number of positions, fairly senior director and manager positions, in the district they鈥檝e been trying to fill recently. It鈥檚 kind of another one in a line-up of positions. I know they鈥檝e had a lot of interest in the position from B.C. and Alberta that I think they鈥檙e short-listing fairly quick here and fill that probably by the mid-to-end of May.鈥�
Windsor says he鈥檒l be back to help the new chief get situated.
Congratulations Fire Chief Windsor on your retirement!
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