Armstrong and Spallumcheen’s loss is Peachland’s gain.
After 30 years serving the North Okanagan, fire chief Ian Cummings is moving south.
Cummings assumes his new role of fire chief in Peachland on May 27, 2024.
“I love it here, it’s a great place, I raised my family here,” said Cummings. “But after 15 years as fire chief this is just something different, something new and exciting.”
Cummings has been with the department for three decades, since moving to the area from Richmond.
“We wanted to get out of the city and we actually stopped in Peachland first and looked at some houses but couldn’t afford it,” he said. “We ended up in Armstrong, no regrets.”
But he is looking forward to finally getting to Peachland.
“It’s a beautiful location.”
The search for a new chief will be initiated as soon as possible. In the interim, Deputy Ian McKechnie, will assume the role of interim chief, providing steady leadership until a permanent appointment is made.
“We extend our gratitude to chief Cummings for his service to the City of Armstrong,” said mayor Joe Cramer. “Peachland will benefit from chief Cummings’ leadership skills. We wish him success in his future endeavors.”
In addition to his role in the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department, Cummings has often provided his expertise in structure protection to the BC Wildfire service and his deployments around the province have made an impact far beyond the North Okanagan’s borders.
“Chief Cummings has been an important part of our community for many years. It’s an amazing thing to see someone dedicate 30 plus years of their life to protecting others,” said Spallumcheen mayor Christine Fraser. “Council, staff and our entire community wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
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