Otter Point Fire Department

05/15/2026

May 15, 2026

For Immediate Release

Leadership Transition at the Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department

The Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department announces the retirement of Fire Chief John McCrea, effective July 3, 2026, following 31 years of dedicated service to the department and the community of Otter Point.
Chief McCrea began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter and rose through the ranks as Captain, Training Officer, Deputy Chief, and ultimately served two terms as Fire Chief. Throughout his career, he demonstrated unmatched dedication to the fire service, the members of the department, and the residents of Otter Point.

Chief McCrea leaves behind a lasting legacy within the department. His leadership, mentorship, and commitment to training helped build the Otter Point Training Centre into a facility recognized throughout the Province of British Columbia. For more than 20 years, he dedicated countless hours to developing and managing training opportunities that have benefited firefighters from across the region and province.
While retiring from the role of Fire Chief, John is not leaving the department entirely and will continue to support the department and incoming leadership in any way needed. His knowledge, experience, and continued involvement will remain a valued asset to the organization.
The members of the Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department would like to sincerely thank Chief McCrea for his decades of service, leadership, and commitment to the community. We wish him all the best in his retirement and many safe miles ahead riding his Harley.

The department is also pleased to announce that current Deputy Fire Chief Ben Patterson has been appointed as the next Fire Chief and will officially assume the role on July 3, 2026.
Chief Patterson brings 29 years of fire service experience, beginning at the age of 16 as a volunteer firefighter with Sooke Fire Rescue, where he dedicated 21 years of service. He also brings eight years of full-time career experience with the Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department.
Throughout his career, Chief Patterson has demonstrated strong local knowledge, a collaborative leadership approach, and a continued focus on supporting members while serving the Otter Point community. During his time as Deputy Fire Chief, he has been actively involved in department operations, training, incident command, and oversight of facilities and equipment.
Chief Patterson has demonstrated a strong understanding of volunteer fire service delivery, firefighter training standards, and the regulatory framework that guides the fire service, including the Fire Safety Act, WorkSafeBC requirements, and CRD bylaws. His leadership approach emphasizes integrity, accountability, communication, teamwork, firefighter safety, operational effectiveness, and community well-being. He is committed to supporting members while continuing to build on the strengths and traditions of the department.

Please join us in congratulating Chief Patterson on his appointment and in thanking Chief McCrea for his extraordinary service and leadership to the Otter Point community.

05/13/2026

Campfires will once again be permitted on Friday, May 15, at noon. We strongly recommend that, if you choose to have a campfire, you ensure it is in a contained pit, and when you are done with the fire, make sure it is dead out, cold to the touch. Included with Campfires, Wood-Fired Hot tubs, and Wood-Fired Pizza ovens will be permitted once again.

05/08/2026

UPDATE: Effective on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 12 p.m. (noon), the provincial Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. Category 2 and Category 3 open burning will remain prohibited.

The Category 1 campfire prohibition was initially implemented due to a combination of elevated wildfire risk factors. Current and forecast conditions have since shifted, bringing cooler temperatures, improved humidity values and an overall reduction in wildfire hazard throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. Because of this, Category 1 campfires will be once again permitted under the Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction.

The CRD asks that park visitors continue to adhere to park etiquette reminders listed below, and campers at Island View Beach, Sooke Potholes and Jordan River adhere to the following regulations:

🚫 Do not burn in windy conditions
✅ Establish and maintain a fuel break
🚫 Do not leave the fire unattended
✅ Ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the area
✅ Carry out fire control immediately and/or report the fire if it spreads beyond the established fuel break

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As of noon today, a Category 1 provincial fire ban will be in effect for the Coastal Fire Centre, which means no campfires allowed anywhere, including in campgrounds - Island View Beach, Sooke Potholes and Jordan River.

This time of year, it's essential we all keep our park etiquette top of mind to help against wildfires. Please remember:

🚭 All CRD Regional Parks are non-smoking spaces
🗑️ Pack out your trash from CRD parks & trails - even something as simple as broken glass can cause a wildfire
🅿️ Only park in designated areas; don't block emergency vehicle access
🛤️ Stay on official trails and follow signage in parks

By all doing our part, we can minimize our impact and better protect our natural spaces.

05/05/2026

Public Notice – Open Burning Prohibited

All Category 2 open burning permits in Otter Point will be rescinded effective 12:00 PM on Thursday, May 7, 2026. This will include all Campfires and Beachfires.

Also prohibited are the activities listed below (Wildfire Act, Section 12):
• Fireworks; as defined in the Fireworks Act;
• Binary exploding targets;
• Sky Lanterns
• Wood fired hot tubs, wood fired pizza ovens and other wood fired devices unless vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building;
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
• Controlled air incinerators
• Air curtain burners; and
• Carbonizers.

Effective at 12 p.m. PDT on Thursday, May 7, Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires are prohibited across the Coastal Fire Centre. The exception is the Haida Gwaii Forest District, where Category 1 campfires are permitted.

These measures are being taken to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires associated with open burning activities.

This prohibition will remain in place until October 31, 2026, or until it is rescinded.

Always check with your local government before burning, as they may have their own prohibitions in place.

For the full information bulletin, list of prohibited activities and detailed map, visit: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/coastal-fire-centre-enacting-open-fire-prohibitions/

04/15/2026

Otter Point Fire Department is proud to recognize National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and the incredible people who are always there when it matters most — our 9-1-1 fire dispatchers.

To our partners at Saanich Fire Dispatch, thank you for being the steady voice in the chaos. Your professionalism, precision, and ability to manage the unknown make a difference on every single call. Long before crews arrive on scene, you are already making things happen.

From coordinating resources to supporting responders in real time, your role is critical to everything we do — and it never goes unnoticed.

👏 We appreciate your dedication, your resilience, and the work you do behind the headset every day.

04/07/2026

The Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department is proud to recognize the dedication, hard work, and leadership of three outstanding members who have recently advanced within our ranks. These promotions reflect years of commitment to training, service, and the community we serve, and we are excited to share this well-earned achievement with you.

Lt. Morgan D’Ganigian
Morgan started with the OPVFD in Oct of 2014 as a 19 year old recruit. Morgan spoke quickly and softly and it took a while for me to get to know him. Morgan took a leave of absence for most of 3 years to attend college in California returning to us as Dr Morgan D’Ganigian. Since his return Morgan has applied himself to advancing his firefighting and officer training knowledge and skills.
We are very happy to promote Morgan to the position of Lieutenant in the OPVFD

Lt. Gavin Williams
Gavin came to us in the summer of 2018. He became part of a newly revised recruit training program that included the likes of Joe Kanashiro, Shawn Fiset, Lisa Marino and Drew Kernovich. An amazing group that has excelled in firefighting and enthusiasm, and set the standard for future recruit classes. Now Gavin teaches the recruit firefighters with our Department. Always with a great sense of humour and an awesome accent! We are very pleased to promote Gavin Williams to the position of Lieutenant in the OPVFD

Lt. Alex Stoettner
We first met Alex a few years before he joined the department. He had moved from Germany to Otter Point and we would have a lengthy discussions about firefighting when we would write him a burn permit. Alex had been a firefighter in Munich for 16 years. It took about 6 years but we finally got Alex to fill in an application for the Otter Point Fire Department. Alex caught on very quickly to the “Canadian Way” of firefighting and has become an outstanding member of our team. Having worked through his training we are very excited to promote Alex to the position of Lieutenant in the OPVFD.

Three amazing personalities that have moved up to fill a huge gap in the Otter Point Fire Department.
Thank you for your service and congratulations on your promotions!

03/31/2026

🔥 As of April 1st, 2026, Category 2 backyard burning in Otter Point requires a permit.
🌲 Burn piles must not exceed 2 meters in height and 3 meters in width.
📅 Burning season runs from April 1st to May 31st. No open burning is allowed in June, July, August, or September.

📞 For permits, contact the fire department at 250-642-6211 or visit us at 3727 Otter Point Road, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
🚫 Don’t delay! Ensure your clean-up and burning are completed before the seasonal ban begins.
Information on burning regulations can be found by clicking the link
https://otterpointfire.bc.ca/burning-regulations/

02/03/2026

01/14/2026

Celebrating Remarkable Milestones at Otter Point Fire Department

We are proud to recognize and celebrate two incredible milestones within the Otter Point Fire Department.

Please join us in congratulating Ron Morton on 35 years of dedicated service to the Otter Point Fire Department. Ron’s long-standing commitment, experience, and dedication to our community have made a lasting impact and are deeply appreciated.

We also extend our sincere congratulations to Dave Gollmer for an outstanding 45 years of combined service as a Volunteer Firefighter and Commission Member. Dave’s leadership, service, and continued support of the department have helped shape who we are today.

Thank you, Ron and Dave, for your decades of service, commitment, and dedication to protecting our community. Your contributions do not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for everything you have done and continue to do.

Congratulations and thank you!

01/02/2026