Ottawa – FSWO is pleased to share the news of the promotion of our Past President Louise Hine-Schmidt to Deputy Chief of Ottawa Fire Services. “I never thought I would go this far, but there is no turning back now,” she said. “I’m excited for the challenges ahead and looking forward to helping make our service even better.”
She joins a group of skilled women reaching the highest levels of the fire service in Canada. A hardworking and dedicated firefighter, Chief Hine-Schmidt first joined the ranks of Ottawa Fire in 1999 as one of the first three women hired. She most recently served as Division Chief of Safety.
Chief Hine-Schmidt is one of the three founding members of FSWO who also helped to establish Camp FFIT (Female Firefighters in Training) which has served as a model for other fire services from across Canada. Chief Hine-Schmidt served as the first President of FSWO (2009-2011) and then again from 2015-2019. She has always been a calm, collected, and supportive leader at the organization. Her twelve years as a member of the Board Executive helps to provide the organization with the experience and leadership that ensures the success of FSWO.
Chief Hine-Schmidt has an honours BPhEd (University of Ottawa), an Executive Diploma in Municipal Management (University of Western Ontario/Seneca College) and a Certification in Dispute Resolution (York University). She is trained as a technician in Rope Rescue, Confined Space, Elevator Rescue, and Extrication. She was the editor of the OFS Rope Rescue Manual and served on the IAFF Local 162 Human Relations and Accommodations Committee.
Chief Hine-Schmidt is also included in the Women of Impact in Canada gallery. This gallery is dedicated to women's achievements, featuring profiles of courageous women who have made an impact in politics, the arts and sciences, and countless other fields.
Chief Hine-Schmidt is an accomplished national athlete who represented Canada at the Pan Am Games in 1987, winning two silver medals in sprint kayaking. She has been married to her husband Brent for 30 years and they have a daughter who is on the Canadian National sprint kayak team and a son who is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
As Ottawa’s first woman Deputy Chief, she serves as a powerful role model showing that the sky is the limit for women in the fire service.