The City of Castlegar has formally recognized Deb Chmara, who is retiring after 18 years as the city’s emergency support services volunteer director.
Chmara also spent more than 50 years with the Canadian Red Cross and International Red Cross, a position that took her to Albania, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Tajikistan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Philippines, Israel, and Russia, responding to various disasters.
In 2019, Emergency Management BC named her the Public Safety Lifeline Volunteer of the Year in the emergency social services category.
Chmara’s role was on top of her full-time position as a teacher.
“I came to Castlegar a long time ago and said I was only going to be here for two years,” she told council last week. “Obviously there’s something very, very special about this community. The people, the environment, the opportunities that it gave me.
“My dad, before he passed away, said ‘If you want to stay in Castlegar, stay and do whatever you want. You’ve got some seniority with the school district and he was right. So many doors opened because I stayed here and I’ve never regretted it.”
Chmara said the local emergency support services team is renowned as one of the best in the province, although it not as tested as others in Kelowna and Kamloops, which “unfortunately, get a lot more practice.”
She said her team’s growth and development has “skyrocketed” since it came under the oversight of the fire department.
“We had the lasting support for individuals and programs and needs that no one else has,” she said.
