Webinars
The EDI Celebration Series – Episode 5 with special guests Deputy Chief Sandra Follack and Assistant Director Chantal Bibeau
August 26, 2021 at 1:30pm

The fifth installment of the EDI Celebration Series will be broadcast live on August 26 at 1:30 pm EST. For August’s event, Chantal Bibeau, an assistant director with the Montreal Fire Department with expertise in fire prevention, and Sandra Follack, deputy fire chief in the emergency management and communication division for the Kelowna Fire Department, will share their career experiences and recommendations for increasing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the fire service.

The EDI Celebration Series is a program of the CAFC in collaboration with Fire Fighting in Canada through a generous grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation.

Speakers

Chantal Bibeau, Assistant-Director, Montreal Fire Department

Chantal Bibeau was recently nominated assistant-director of the service-centre – expertise in fire prevention — for the Montreal Fire Department. Chantal works to protect lives while ensuring the implementation of preventive actions, community outreach and management. Prior to her new role, she worked for the Laval Fire Department in Quebec for 30 years. From 1991 to 2000, she held the position of inspector before being promoted to the posts of investigating inspector, then lieutenant inspector and Chief of preventer thereafter. Since 2017 she held the position as head of the prevention division.

Chantal has sat as vice-president, prevention, for the Association of Fire Safety Managers and Civile du Québec (AGSICQ) since 2016 and as administrator at the Régie du bâtiment du Québec since 2018. She is also the co-chair of the prevention committee for the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs since 2020. She has completed studies at McGill’s executive management institute and HEC.

Sandra Follack, Deputy Fire Chief, Kelowna Fire

Sandra grew up in the lower mainland of B.C. on a farm with her parents and three siblings. Growing up as the youngest of four taught her teamwork, determination and at times how to innovate and compromise as every situation is solvable.  These strengths have carried her throughout her career.

Sandra worked at several fire departments including Abbotsford, Langley Township/City and Surrey Fire Department before moving to Kelowna in 2007.

The move to Kelowna exemplified her desire to bring work and life balance together while enjoying quality time with her son. She says getting to where she is today wasn’t easy, but she embraced the journey.