The Town of Osoyoos has officially hired Corey Kortmeyer as the new fire chief. He will be coming into the position in June, moving to the South Okanagan from Elkford, B.C.
“I am honoured and humbled to join the Town of Osoyoos as fire chief. Working alongside the fine members of the fire department and continuing the excellent efforts of Osoyoos Fire and Rescue is going to be an exciting challenge,” said Kortmeyer. “Fire and life safety is my passion, and I will dedicate my efforts to serving the community of Osoyoos in its times of need.”
As fire chief in Osoyoos, he will be responsible for all of the fire operations which include fire suppression (wild and structural), fire prevention, and training for paid on-call firefighters.
“We look forward to Chief Kortmeyer joining us and promoting and continuing the excellent service that the fire rescue department provides to our community,” said Chief Administrative Officer Allan Chabot.
Kortmeyer has over 18 years of firefighting experience and extensive training in the field.
In his last position as the fire chief and director of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services in Elkford, he managed a department of over 30 members along with a plethora of other duties.
He also oversaw the emergency services which included emergency response, training, emergency management, fire prevention, search and rescue, and yearly budget management.
Kortmeyer decided to take on the job as fire chief in Osoyoos because he wants a new challenge in a different community. After being in Elkford for eight years, he says the community he’s been able to cultivate within the town and his own team was a huge highlight, and is something he is looking forward to doing here in Osoyoos as well.
“Being in the firehall is to make it better each and every day that we’re there and constantly pushing the program so that it ensures a better public fire and life safety,” said Kortmeyer. “So that even with your fire prevention programs, where you’re doing the inspections on properties, you’re making sure that all of the businesses are conforming to the B.C. Fire Code. And bringing some of those messaging into the schools.”
Along with his commitment to continue to push the department itself to high standards, Kortmeyer also explains the importance of taking care of his crew in terms of their mental health.
He says that the repercussions of some incidents over the years, if not dealt with positively, could impact people for the rest of their lives.
“That mental health aspect is huge because most of these guys and girls that are volunteering are doing it out of the goodness of their own hearts, just to provide service for you and your community. You really want to be able to make sure that they’re being looked after mentally and physically,” said Kortmeyer.
As much as his role as the fire chief puts Kortmeyer in a mentorship position, he says that he’s equally looking forward to learning from his new team in Osoyoos.
