BONNYVILLE - Former Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Fire Chief Dan Heney served a long and impactful career in fire services before his transition to working as the Director of Emergency Managements and General Manager of Planning and Community Service at the Town of Bonnyville.
Heney looks back on his career with reverence, and with several decades of experience in the field, Heney encourages anyone who is even slightly interested in joining a fire department to do so.
“It will literally change your life, and you will likely change someone else’s life,” says. Heney.
The start
Heney started with the Bonnyville Fire Department as a firefighter in March of 1993 and served until March of 1999. He left to build a career in fire services that would take him to Vermilion, Prince Albert, and Calgary.
After 20 years building his career, Heney returned to Bonnyville as the regional deputy chief at the BRFA in July of 2019.
In 2021, Fire Chief Jay Melvin took a position with the City of Beaumont. With the fire chief position open, Heney was asked to step in as interim fire chief.
“After an interview process with the BRFA board vice-chairs, I was offered the full-time position and quickly accepted,” says Heney.
When asked how his year of service shaped his perspectives, Heney replies, “It has highlighted the importance of family, commitment, and humility. Leading a disparate group of people can be both empowering and humbling, energizing, and draining. It changes you in more ways than you can count.”
Heney recalls a career with many changes, growing ambitions, and unexpected new paths, and reports that working for the BRFA is probably the most fulfilling part of his career to date.
“Serving two municipalities, almost 20,000 rural citizens including much of my family, leading over 200 members of the BRFA - there was never one day the same as the one before,” says Heney.
He recalls working with the BRFA team fondly and describes the solid relationships he built with the people who saved lives alongside him.
“Although there were days where we felt like a mildly dysfunctional family, we still felt like a family. The comradery was very strong, and I’m proud to be able to say that I had a hand in that,” says Heney.
Make smart choices
When asked what he’s learned during his career, and what advice a former fire chief might have for the community, Heney spoke about the community's resilient heart, and society's tendency to rush.
Heney says from a fire chief’s perspective, the one thing he would want to change is the “go-fast” mindset that many people have.
“Whether they are going to work or heading out to play, lots of folks want to rush to get there and it causes some to make bad decisions. They might pass on a double line when visibility is poor, they might tailgate, they might not secure loads they are carrying, they might not fully put out their campfire.”
Heney urges people to consider the rippling consequences a poor – or rushed – decision can make.
“It's important to remember that your decisions affect more than just you. It’s the family with you, the people around you, neighbours, adjacent landowners . . . that can also pay the price for your poor decisions,” says Heney.
With the turbulent boom and bust of the oil industry in the past, Heney recalls leaving Bonnyville in 1999 in the excitement of the growing industry and returning in 2019 when the community was still recovering from the 2014 crash.
“It felt very similar to the fallout of crashes in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Ultimately, I learned that Bonnyville was as resilient as I remember it being while growing up here. Oil booms will come and go but the heart of this community hasn’t changed. Local sports teams are well supported, the golf course is always busy, and the lakes are still a major attraction,” says Heney
Despite no longer working with the fire department, Heney continues to advocate for FireSmart, and urges people to educate themselves.
“Without getting too deep down the fire chemistry rabbit hole, remember that fire only needs three things to happen: heat, air, and fuel. Without effectively preventing or removing at least one of the three, fire will happen. It is very easy to overlook or underestimate both the ease with which fire starts and the power of it when you lose control,” explains Heney
There are diverse volunteer opportunities to get involved with fire services, and Heney encourages those who are interested to take the leap.
“The Canadian fire service is based on volunteerism, and it can use every single member it can get. You get to be part of a team, you get great training, and you will have amazing experiences.”