The District of Fort St. James is disappointed to hear Fire Chief Michael Navratil has tendered his resignation. He leaves end of May to pursue other career opportunities.
Since Nov 2013, Chief Navratil has worked diligently to develop and improve the standards of training and safety in the department. Mayor Rob MacDougall said, "On behalf of Council, I'd like to thank Mike for the exceptional work he has done leading the Fire Department. During his time here he has increased the base of fire fighters, improved the level of usage at the Fire Training Centre, and built up the cohesiveness and camaraderie. He will be greatly missed as a valuable member of the management team of the District."
Assistant Chief Curtis MacDonald said, "It's sad to see Chief Navratil go. He brought a lot of expertise and experience to the community and built up a strong department. He revitalized the fire training centre with our busiest year on record in 2016. The countless hours of training and work he put in leaves us with the skills we need to carry on providing fire protection to the District of Fort St James. We wish him and his family all the best in the future."