Vancouver names longtime deputy fire chief to top job

The City of Vancouver announced that Robert Weeks will take over as the new fire chief of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. Weeks has spent more than twenty years working within the local municipal fire department. City administrators selected him following a comprehensive nationwide search to fill the permanent vacancy.

Weeks previously held the position of deputy fire chief and also served on the executive board for Vancouver Fire Fighters Local 18. His career in local emergency response spans multiple decades of active service across various city districts. Municipal leaders confirmed that his official start date in the top office is scheduled for Monday, November 2.

The department operates twenty-one fire halls throughout Vancouver with hundreds of career firefighters providing fire suppression, medical response, and technical rescue. Weeks steps into the role as the organization addresses evolving urban safety demands and infrastructure updates. Recent department initiatives include transitioning structural firefighting gear to materials free from cancer-causing PFAS compounds.

The incoming chief outlined key operational goals for the municipal service during his tenure. My priority is to strengthen our ability to respond to the evolving needs of our city by ensuring our teams have the training, equipment and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively, said Weeks.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services handles tens of thousands of emergency calls annually ranging from structure fires to medical emergencies and hazardous material incidents. The organization traces its official history back to 1886 when the volunteer fire brigade was first established following early settlement growth. His first official workday begins on Monday morning.