In the wake of the recent retirement of Waterloo’s longstanding fire chief, the city has officially welcomed its new replacement, bringing on its first-ever woman to take on the top role.
At a City of Waterloo council meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, councillors passed a motion that would formally transfer the role from the now-former chief, Richard Hepditch, to Sandy Van Solm.
“Chief van Solm is the first woman Fire Chief at the City of Waterloo and has been a Deputy Chief with Waterloo Fire Rescue since 2020,” said the city in a release.
“She holds a PhD from the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo and has over 25 years of experience in public safety.”
That includes experience in Emergency Management with the Region of Waterloo and the GTA, and Emergency Management and Fire Services in Amsterdam-Amstelland Fire Services.
It comes after Chief Hepditch retired after more than 31 years of service with the City of Waterloo, including more than 12 years as City of Waterloo Fire Chief.
During the meeting, council congratulated him and wished him well, thanking him for his dedication and service to the City of Waterloo and the community.
The city stated that Van Solm brings plenty of pedigree, on top of earned respect, to the top role, saying she is a “respected leader in emergency response planning and education, with a particular interest in improving the emergency response for vulnerable populations during emergencies and disasters.”
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