Martin Drakeley has joined the Municipality of North Cowichan in the new position of manager of fire and bylaw services.
Drakeley joins North Cowichan after a 35-year career in fire services, most recently as chief officer in Nanaimo.
A welder by trade, Drakeley began his emergency services career in Lake Cowichan as a paramedic and also worked five years with the Coroners Service of BC before joining the City of Nanaimo.
“We are excited to have Martin here leading our fire and bylaw teams,” said North Cowichan’s CAO Ted Swabey.
“This position will focus on training, procurement, operating procedures, and health and safety, and will help to drive consistency and collaboration in the organization, allowing our bylaw officers and firefighters to focus on what they do best; providing exceptional protective services to our community.”
The need for a fire and bylaw manager was identified in the 2018 fire services review and the 2018 organizational services review, both of which recommended the permanent, full-time role stationed at municipal hall to lead the municipality’s fire departments and to provide leadership to the bylaw compliance team.
Drakeley hit the ground running last week, when multiple departments were called out to two wildfires in one day, one on Mount Sicker and one on Stoney Hill.
The position was funded within the existing 2019 budget.