Lloydminster, Sask./Alta. – Accomplished local firefighter and former City Councillor Aaron Buckingham has been named Fire Chief for the Lloydminster Fire Department (LFD).
Buckingham brings more than 25 years of firefighting experience to the Lloydminster department, most recently serving as Deputy Fire Chief to the RM of Britannia department. He has also served as a Lloydminster City Councillor for two terms, beginning in late 2016.
The Lloydminster Charter doesn’t allow a sitting councillor to hold employment with the municipality so Buckingham made the decision to resign as councillor to be considered for the position of fire chief. News of his hiring to the LFD was shared during the Oct. 23, city council meeting where Buckingham also confirmed his resignation from Lloydminster City Council.
“My roles in municipal government and community fire service are two of the great passions in my life and when the opportunity to lead the Lloydminster department arose, I found myself at a personal and professional crossroads,” said Buckingham. “My council colleagues have inspired me deeply and I hope they have found my contributions over the past seven years to be meaningful and productive. I humbly thank Lloydminster residents for their faith in me as an elected official and hope they will extend me their trust and support as Fire Chief.”
Following the departure of former Lloydminster Fire Chief Leigh Sawicki in late September 2023, the City of Lloydminster started a recruitment process to identify qualified candidates.
“Aaron Buckingham brings a wealth of technical knowledge and a rounded understanding of the Lloydminster community; traits this council and administration value in their organizational leaders,” said Mayor Gerald Aalbers. “Though we will miss his perspectives and insights as a councillor, we have every confidence Aaron will continue to advance our shared mission to shape a safe and resilient Lloydminster in this new capacity.”
Buckingham has held volunteer positions with the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce and the Border City Rotary Club. Currently, he is the Zone 8 Director of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters Association which provides support and guidance to 29 fire departments across northwest Saskatchewan.
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