Sicamous Fire Rescue Chief Lorenzo De Arcangelis has already burned through a year with the department since taking the position following Brett Ogino's retirement.
In reaching the milestone on April 15, De Arcangelis looked back on his time in the role and the community after a year of service under his suspenders.
"The connections I've built with both residents and visitors of the district continue to be warm and genuinely welcoming," he said in a press release from the District of Sicamous. "The sense of community is something I deeply value."
That is evident in different initiatives involving the community, including an open house at the department in October and welcoming the first Fire Chief for a Day Avery Sanche to the crew in March.
"To me, community represents the people we serve, protect and stand beside every day," De Arcangelis said, reflecting on 'community' in the context of his job. "It means more than geography 鈥� it's a shared responsibility to ensure safety, resilience and trust."
He added that his role as chief is rooted in service, especially in providing fast, effective emergency response, advancing public safety education and building strong relationships with residents partner agencies and visitors.
Professionally, De Arcangelis has found taking on the leadership role in a community to be both humbling and rewarding as he leads a dedicated team focused on delivering fire and rescue services throughout Sicamous.
"Providing this essential service to the district represents a meaningful milestone in my career," he added.
When not leading emergency response services or furthering wildfire mitigation work, De Arcangelis can often be found hiking Sicamous Creek Trail or spending time at the legion 鈥� two local favourites he's found here.
He joked that one of the biggest surprises since moving from the Lower Mainland to Sicamous is "way less vehicle traffic, and way more wildlife traffic," but added the slower pace and natural beauty that have made a lasting impression, as have local residents.
Looking ahead, De Arcangelis is excited to continue providing exceptional fire and life safety services while developing a strong foundation for the next generation of fire service leadership in Sicamous.
"Leading a team of professionals dedicated to life safety is both a privilege and a responsibility I hold with the highest regard."
