The District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (DNVFRS) is a mission-oriented emergency services agency focused on the safety and well-being of our community.

Our members provide caring and compassionate fire, rescue and emergency medical services to our citizens and visitors.

We deliver services through an integrated approach that encompasses emergency response for fire, rescue, and life safety and community risk reduction through public safety programs, including risk-based inspections, fire investigation, and targeted public education.

A Welcome from Chief Brian Hutchinson

I am proud to present the District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (DNVFRS) Annual Report 2021.

This past year brought many challenges, from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and opioid crisis to an unprecedented heat dome and record wildfire season.

Despite these added demands, our members remained focused and committed to delivering the highest level of service to the residents and visitors of the District of North Vancouver.

We are very proud of how our fire department members and support staff have persevered under these trying circumstances.

Our co-workers are our extended family, and we recognize that it is more important than ever to watch out for each other and support the mental health and wellness of all our personnel.

This annual report describes how we did in the past year, not only by reporting the outcomes achieved in terms of data and statistics but also − and perhaps more importantly − through sharing some of the stories of how our innovative and community-focused staff serve the community.

As the District has evolved and transformed, so too has its Fire & Rescue Service. We are constantly striving to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our services through innovation and ongoing analysis of our operational results.

A key message that should become crystal clear within the pages of this report is that our greatest asset is the women and men who report to work every day. They wear the uniform with pride, serve the community with professionalism, and make the DNVFRS a progressive, inclusive and proactive Fire & Rescue Service. As Fire Chief, I am truly honoured to serve with such a diligent and compassionate team who provide superior service and exemplary care throughout our community.  I’m also thankful for the ongoing support from District Council, our public safety partners, and the different operational divisions within the DNV.

Council and residents alike can be proud that their Fire & Rescue Services team is one of the most highly trained, innovative, resilient, and compassionate emergency service agencies in North America.

Respectfully,

Brian Hutchinson, MA, CEM®, ECFO, CFO

Your DNVFRS at a Glance

With nearly 140 firefighters, command, training, and support staff, we serve the District’s 89,767  residents and 160 square kilometres of urban and wilderness land from five strategically located fire stations and a training centre.

What We Believe

Our Mission

We proudly serve our community by providing exceptional fire suppression, medical aid, technical rescue, fire prevention and public education services.

Our Vision

To be an inclusive and progressive leader that consistently provides our community with excellent service.

Our Values

Community — Treat people with kindness and respect
Integrity — Do the right thing
Well-being — Foster physical, mental, and emotional well-being
Innovation — Drive change for the good

Part of a Regional Fire and Emergency System

We are part of a regional fire and emergency services system, working alongside West Vancouver Fire and Rescue and the North Vancouver City Fire Department under a Cooperative Fire/Rescue Services agreement.

As a participating agency along with our two North Shore partners, the DNVFRS has agreed to eliminate jurisdictional borders for fire and rescue responses to support a timely and effective response.

This system is a model within British Columbia and across Canada and provides a much higher service level for citizens in the three participating municipalities.

We continue to focus on moving to a ‘Closest Hall’ dispatching model that will further remove municipal boundaries in the deployment of fire and rescue to ensure the timeliest response to emergencies across the North Shore.

City of North Vancouver partner  District of West Vancouver partner