News & Media

Ladysmith Council has confirmed the results of a recent election of officers held by Ladysmith Fire Rescue, and appointed Chris Geiger as the new Fire Chief. 

 

The Town and Council would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to outgoing Fire Chief Ray Delcourt for his outstanding service to the Ladysmith community over the past 22 years. 

 

“On behalf of Ladysmith Council, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to outgoing Fire Chief Ray Delcourt for his tireless service– our town is a safer place because of Ray’s dedication to emergency preparedness, community safety and fire prevention,” said Mayor Aaron Stone.   

 

“Ray has been on call 24/7, 365 days a year for over two decades. He was the first to answer the call whatever time of day and respond to hundreds of emergencies, helping to save residents’ lives, and their homes filled with many precious possessions. He is a hero in the eyes of the community and well respected by young and old alike. We look forward to honouring Ray in a big way after the COVID-19 crisis.”

 

Delcourt was named Ladysmith’s Citizen of the Year in 2018 and has helped lead much of Ladysmith Fire Rescue’s community outreach such as fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy and Tour de Rock Cops for Cancer. 

 

Geiger’s appointment to Fire Chief was effective as of April 1. 

 

Geiger is born and raised in Ladysmith and has served with CFB Esquimalt Fire/Rescue since June 2018.   He has been a member of Ladysmith Fire Rescue since 2007, serving as Lieutenant, Captain and most recently holding the position of Chief Training Officer prior to his appointment as Fire Chief.
 

A married father with two teenage children, Geiger has experience as an instructor and evaluator for the Justice Institute of British Columbia. He is also looking forward to continued opportunities teaching with Vancouver Island Emergency Response Academy and CF Responder Training. 

 

“I am honoured to have been elected to lead this exceptional team,” said Geiger. “I am very proud to be a member of this department, and I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellent service this community has become accustomed to from Ladysmith’s volunteer firefighters.” 

 

In light of provincial health orders to limit public gatherings and practice physical distancing, the Town, Ladysmith Council and Delcourt’s colleagues at the Fire Hall look forward to honouring his service to the community at a future date.