The Hope Fire Department has appointed David Hick as Hope’s FireSmart Coordinator.
“I am really excited to launch the FireSmart program in Hope because it is a perfect way for me to combine my professional experience with my passion for helping to build a more resilient community,” Hick said in a press release. “It is an honour to have been selected for the role and I applaud (Hope Fire Chief Thomas Cameron) and the (District of Hope) for their leadership and stewardship of the project which made it possible.”
Hick’s appointment comes after the district received a $199,878.80 grant from the Ministry of Forests (MOF) to improve wildfire safety within the community. As a condition of the grant, the district was required to hire a FireSmart Coordinator and develop a Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP).
In addition to being the new FireSmart Coordinator, the fire department also promoted Hick to Assistant Chief. A resident of Hope for 16 years, Hick has been a member of the department for 10 years and has plenty of experience when it comes to wildfires. Since 2017, he’s been deployed to many major wildfire events which included the fires at Williams Lake, Lytton, and last year’s fire in West Kelowna.
On top of his experience with fighting wildfires, Hick is trained in FireSmart principles, and wildfire structure defense and protection tactics.
According to the fire department, “his firsthand knowledge of wildfire behaviour and successful mitigation strategies will prove invaluable” while working as the coordinator.
When not working as a firefighter, Hick spends his time working as a serial entrepreneur. He’s managed a number of projects, while living in Hope, that includes building West Coast fishing lodges, working in commercial real estate, and self-storage businesses.
He also has over 20 years experience as “a senior executive in the global technology and services industries where he specialized in Sales and Marketing.”
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
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