NORTH PERTH – North Perth’s new fire chief is no stranger to the municipality.
Janny Pape will be the next fire chief in North Perth, the municipality announced on Aug. 20.
She is a certified fire prevention officer and public fire and life safety educator. She also holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario.
Pape will succeed Fire Chief Ed Smith, the only fire chief the municipality has ever had. Smith will retire at the end of October following a successful 44-year career in the fire service.
This will be a homecoming for Pape, who previously worked for the North Perth Fire Department (NPFD) as an administrative assistant, fire prevention officer and public educator.
“I am pleased to welcome Janny home,” said Mayor Todd Kasenberg in a press release. “We are delighted to appoint an individual with deep professional and leadership experience, and who has made North Perth her home. Her passion and expertise, coupled with acknowledged mentorship from long-serving Chief Ed Smith, makes her a wonderful fit for the Fire Department in our rapidly growing community.”
Pape left NPFD in 2014 to pursue a fire adviser position with the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM).
She was appointed to the position of Program Specialist with the OFMEM in 2015. In her capacity with the OFMEM, she performed complex fire safety inspections, delivered training relating to vulnerable occupancies, and was an integral part of the OFMEM’s team for the Whitby/East Gwillimbury inquest.
Pape has also been the technical service lead and fire protection and safety specialist for Dillon Consulting, joining the firm in 2017. In 2019, she was awarded Associate privileges with the consulting firm. She was project manager on several projects, including the Fire Hall Feasibility Study for the City of Yellowknife, and Community Risk Assessments and Master Fire Plan for the City of Brantford, the Town of LaSalle and the Town of Milton. Her work with Dillon Consulting focused on assisting municipalities in making evidence-based decisions regarding the delivery of fire protection services.
Pape says she is excited about this new chapter in her career.
“I have had the privilege of working with some amazing fire service leaders during my career, most notably Fire Chief Ed Smith,” said Pape in a press release. “I am deeply grateful for mentors who have challenged, supported and encouraged me. I am excited to begin this next chapter of leading and enabling all members of the North Perth Fire Department. I look forward to once again serving the community my family calls home.”
Pape will join the department on Oct. 4. She will work with Smith until his retirement at the end of October, when she will take over as fire chief.
