Bowen Island Municipality is pleased to announce that Aaron Hanen has accepted the position of Fire Chief for Bowen Island Fire Rescue.
Hanen, who has been acting as Fire Chief over the past year, has been with Bowen Island Fire Rescue since 1995 when he first joined the team as a volunteer firefighter. He spent 12 years as a volunteer before being promoted to volunteer Captain in 2008, and then hired for the position of Deputy Chief in 2014. In this role he assisted with training, was responsible for the maintenance of the communication system, records management for calls, coverage for the Chief when off duty and various maintenance projects at both Fire Halls. He has been a Local Assistant to the Fire Commissioner for nearly six years, conducted fire investigations and completing associated reports for the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
In his nearly 26 years with Bowen Island Fire Rescue, Hanen has responded to, or been in command of, hundreds of emergencies including fires, medical emergencies, and search and rescue operations.
More recently, Aaron has worked with Council, the Fire Hall Facilities Steering Committee, and Municipal staff on the design and contract for the new Fire Hall and Emergency Operations Centre, and worked closely with Dave Mitchell and Associates to deliver the Core Services Review completed earlier this year.
“Aaron’s history with Bowen Island Fire Rescue, along with his progressive leadership experience and knowledge of the unique aspects of emergency response on Bowen Island are a huge asset for our community.” said Gary Ander, Mayor. “We are ecstatic to bring him on officially, and look forward to seeing more of his success to improve safety and increase Bowen Island’s resiliency.”