Welcome, District Chief Smith

Welcome, District Chief Matt Smith

The County of Grande Prairie is pleased to welcome Matthew Smith to the position of District Chief. He stepped into the newly created position in August and works with fellow District Chief Bryan Hall to manage fire services for all County rural fire stations.

“We share responsibilities across the County. I manage the fire stations in my area including Hythe, La Glace and Wembley, and coordinate with the fire chief in Beaverlodge,” says Smith.

The new position expands his previous role as Wembley Fire Chief through a shared service agreement between the Town and the County.

The agreement is part of the County’s Intermunicipal Collaborative Framework (ICF) with the Town of Wembley to ensure municipal services are provided to residents efficiently and cost effectively. The County provides additional fire trucks and equipment, as well as administrative support to ensure residents in the region continue to receive high quality fire protection.

“All the equipment is standardized, training is centralized, and we can coordinate responses to 911 calls throughout the County,” says Smith. “This has resulted in the quickest, most effective response to any situation.”

Smith brings a wealth of experience to his new position having started his career in 2007 as a volunteer and thirdgeneration firefighter with the Amherst Fire Department in Nova Scotia. In 2008 he graduated from Holland College’s Atlantic Police Academy with a professional firefighting certification and worked with the Amherst Fire Department until 2012 when he moved to the Grande Prairie area. “Coming to Alberta gave me an opportunity to gain experience in industrial fire suppression as I didn’t have any experience in the oil and gas sector,” he says. He also provided fire training to agriculture and industry specialists throughout Western Canada and still found time to volunteer with the Wembley Fire Department.

He has also been a part-time firefighter with the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service since 2015 and has shared his extensive education and passion for emergency management with the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP), further serving the community and region.

While Smith’s primary office continues to be at the Wembley fire station, he also shares office space in Clairmont with the other fire chiefs.

“One of our main priorities is re-training, recruiting, and retaining volunteer and paid firefighters since COVID,” he says. “Centralizing training ensures that all responders have the same knowledge and skills and can work together across the County.”