The City of Penticton welcomes Brittany Seibert into the position of FireSmart Coordinator, a role responsible for the facilitation and delivery of FireSmart related activities within the city.
Born and raised in Williams Lake, Brittany began her Fire Service experience in 2008 as a Dispatcher with BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). She became an Initial Attack Crew Member in 2011 and worked at Haig Base in Hope, BC for the Coastal Fire Center and then transferred to the Provincial Rapattack Operations Base in Salmon Arm, BC (Kamloops Fire Center) in 2014, and became a Crew Leader in 2016. After the 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons, Brittany left BCWS in the spring of 2019 to work for Frontline Operations Group Ltd. In Vernon.
“During my time with Frontline I led several FireSmart projects as Local FireSmart Representative for local governments including the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Regional District of North Okanagan, as well as assisted with several other company projects relating to wildfire and emergency management,” said Siebert. “Now working for the City of Penticton and Penticton Fire Department as a FireSmart Coordinator, I saw an opportunity to be a part of a new and exciting program, and work with respected industry leaders such as Chief Larry Watkinson.”
The City of Penticton is recognized as a FireSmart city, along with having five recognized FireSmart communities (Sendero Canyon, Juniper Drive, Riddle Road, Spiller Road and Ashbury Place) has been running the program over the past few years. In 2021, the City plans on launching the FireSmart Home Partners program, a voluntary property assessment program that helps residents identify specific actions they can take on their property to reduce wildfire risks.
“Our new team of FireSmart Professionals will be trailblazers for the next chapter of Penticton’s FireSmart Community,” stated Penticton Fire Chief, Larry Watkinson. “The best solution to homes being lost in a wildfire event is Fire Smarting you home. This team will bring to our communities all the best practices and process to help you the home owner prepare your home to be more resilient to wildfires.”