Castlegar's fire chief, Sam Lattanzio, is hanging up his helmet after 32 years in the fire service.
Lattanzio began his career in 1993 as a volunteer firefighter with Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue's Company 5 in Montrose, B.C. After moving to Castlegar in 1997, he rose through the ranks at the Castlegar Fire Department (CFD) from firefighter to lieutenant to captain to deputy fire chief before taking the top spot in 2017.
Along the way, Lattanzio says he availed himself of every training opportunity he could, continually increasing his skills and qualifications.
When Lattanzio became a full-time deputy fire chief, he left behind a management career at Interior Health that he says helped prepare him for the role of fire chief.
"I was management and I dealt with people's problems," Lattanzio told Castlegar News in an interview days before his retirement. "What Interior Health taught me got me ready for what I do now."
He says managing firefighters has been a great experience.
"These are people that want to be here – they don't have to be here. It's been a different experience dealing with people who want to serve, who want to contribute to protecting the community, who want to help residents in the community and do all the things we do here."
Lattanzio says a lot has changed in his years at the department. When he first started CFD received 150-200 calls a year. In 2024, that number had risen to almost 900.
About two-thirds of those calls are 9-1-1 calls and Lattanzio says this category continues to climb each year. The department responds to everything from motor vehicle incidents and vehicle extractions to shoreline and rural rescues and, of course, fires.
Lattanzio says the best parts of his job are serving the community and helping people.
"When people have a problem, at least we are able to help address it."
He also enjoys what he calls the "fun stuff" – parades, community events, fire hall tours and fire safety education for children.
Lattanzio says the worst part of the job is the "things the average public does not see" – tragedies, recovery operations, devastating fires severe medical emergencies.
"We go to lots of cardiac arrests," says Lattanzio, "but in my whole career I have only seen about five times that it was successful. The odds are very much against you."
But those few successes are glorious victories.
Lattanzio recalls an incident at the Castlegar Curling Rink where fellow curlers began CPR on a man immediately after his heart stopped.
"When we arrived we took over and I personally remember when I was pumping on him the second he came back – that's a good story."
There are a number of accomplishments Lattanzio is proud of including improving the fire alarm monitoring and inspection programs and introducing more technology and management tools to the department, increasing the efficiency of managing calls and records.
He also loves the diversity represented in the department including new Canadians from Peru, India, the Philippines, Germany, France and the United Kingdom and a number of female firefighters, including Castlegar's first female captain.
Lattanzio's last day at the office is April 11, and as of noon Saturday, he will turn his radio off.
"When I return the radios that I have in my home, my wife will be very happy," said Lattanzio.
"When a person decides to join an organization like ours it is not just that person that is being impacted, it is that person's whole family and life.
"That is all my kids knew. In 1993 when I started, I started waking up my wife and my babies and my dogs every time I got up for a night call."
Lattanizo is looking forward to completing renovations at his house, travelling and welcoming his third grandchild into the world. But the city and community will miss his hard work and dedication.
“Not many people know the level of commitment our fire chiefs, deputies, and firefighters give on any given night,” said CAO Chris Barlow as city council and staff said their official goodbyes at the March 31 council meeting.
"Thank you for all you have done, especially for all the times the community was asleep and no one saw all your sacrifices and you kept us safe."
Barlow also had a message for Lattanzio's wife, Trena, and the rest of his family, "Thank you for giving us Sam during day and night, during special occasions and vacations. We now give him back to you and we are so thankful for your sacrifices as well."
