Dave Robertson S2Ep45

After leaving a career in marketing and advertising, Chief Dave Robertson became a ski instructor in the small mountain town of Lion's Bay, British Columbia, Canada. Wanting to connect with that new community, he joined the volunteer department where he was mentored by Captain Bob Allen, a leading auto extrication expert. Bob Allen mentors him to this day.

He then moved to California, spending most of his 25-year fire career there, from busy urban systems to wildland to rural/semi-rural. Following his passion for teaching, he accepted a position back in Canada as a Deputy Chief of Training.

Throughout, he has been fueled by a deep and sincere passion to make the fire service better by pressing the fire service forward on character-based leadership, changing hiring practices away from outdated interview constructs, and the critical need to ensure every department has training as part of their core mission and culture.

He would like his legacy to be one that had him known as an eager and joyful participant in initiatives that help make firefighters smarter, safer, and in the end, better at their jobs.