Firefighting, a profession aimed at helping others, has documented instances of bullying, harassment and hazing in the fire service. A negative working culture can inhibit help-seeking behavior that can contribute to performance anxiety, especially among women. Join our leading panel of experts who will share their research, insight, expertise and experiences in learning how to successfully navigate and advocate for a safe, diverse and inclusive work space that eliminates inequity and harassment in the fire service.
Sofie Lasiuk
Sofie Lasiuk is an Acting Platoon Chief in the Operations Division of Toronto Fire Services. She began her fire service career with the Etobicoke Fire Dept. in 1990 and is a veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy, having served as a ship's diver. She is a graduate of Dalhousie University's Fire Service Administration and Leadership programs, with a specialty in Strategic Planning.
Sofie is dedicated to improving Diversity and Inclusivity within the fire service. Sofie is Toronto Fire Service’s first known transgender firefighter and became the first to go public with her true identity several years into her career. She is the co-chair of Toronto Fire's Positive Space Committee where, as part of a team, she provides support and mentorship to the fire services' 2SLGBTQ+ members. Sofie has served on many panels and committees, applying her experience and education to a variety of topics, including apparatus design, operational deployment reviews and recruitment of staff who reflect the diversity and multiculturalism of Canada. She has assisted with developing a new fire station design that incorporates the high level of privacy and accommodation needed to support a modern, resilient fire service. Sofie is a new FSWO Board Director and was last year's winner of the FSWO President's Trailblazer Award. Off-duty, Sofie is a keen world traveller and amateur historian. She lives in Toronto , with her wife of more than 30 years.
Rebecca(Becky) Moran
Sergeant Rebecca Moran is a former
Toronto paramedic who became a police officer for the Hamilton Police Service
(HPS) in 2011. In 2019, Sergeant Moran recognized the need for a 2S&LGBTQIA
liaison officer for the queer community and helped create, develop and
implement the role, a first ever for the HPS. Sergeant Moran has worked in
uniform patrol, criminal investigative branch, community mobilization branch
and is one of only two hate crime investigators for her police service. In
addition to her liaison and hate crime duties, Sergeant Moran is also a crisis
and hostage negotiator, coordinator of the Police Liaison Team (PLT), a member
of the provincial Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team (HCEIT) and is
the co-chair for the Hamilton Police 2S&LGBTQIA Internal Support Network.
Sergeant Moran is a regular presenter at the Ontario Police College and Humber
College.
Dr. Tina Saryeddine
Tina Saryeddine is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, an organization that has represented Canada's Fire Chiefs since 1909. In her role as the CAFC’s Executive Director, she has oversight of all CAFC operations and provides strategic and policy support to the Board of Directors. CAFC has close to 1000 members each year and a National Advisory Council of all provincial and territorial chief associations, as well as fire related national affiliate organizations.
Tina has a PhD in Health Services Management from the University of Toronto and an adjunct faculty appointment at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa where she had previously completed her Masters in Health Administration in 1998.
Prior to coming to the CAFC, Tina spent 20 years in the health sector with healthcare providers in regional and national associations having served as the Assistant Vice President Research and Policy Analysis at the Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations (ACAHO) and the Executive Director Research and Innovation when ACAHO merged with the Canadian Healthcare Association to form HealthCareCAN. Tina is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders from which she holds the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation.
Karen Simpson
Karen Simpson is a lawyer at Farquhar Law in London. In addition to continuing to practice plaintiff personal injury, Karen also represents complainants of sexual assault when the accused bring private records applications before the court under section 276 and 278 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Karen also practices some criminal defence law. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Karen served the citizens of Chatham-Kent for 10 years as a career firefighter. While in the fire service, Karen sat on the Board of Directors for iWomen and FSWO for seven and six years, respectively.
