2 9 t h A n n u a l F i r e D e p a r t m e n t I n f o r m a t i o n C o n f e r e n c e
FDIC ATLANTIC
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2026 REGISTRATION OPEN
CLASSROOM WORKShOP
CLASSROOM WORKShOP
" Fire Department Morale - Who’s Responsibility Is It?"
" Fire Department Morale - Who’s Responsibility Is It?"
Wayne Jasper
Wayne Jasper
Saturday Afternoon13:00 - 14:30
Saturday Afternoon15:00 - 16:30
Synopsis
With today's ever-increasing budget issues, retention, and recruitment issues, maintaining a high level of morale within your department can be a struggle. We will look at ways to not only maintain morale but increase it from all levels—Firefighter to Chief. This session will try to provide a greater understanding of the importance of morale within the department. There will always be highs and lows, but knowing the key to keeping morale strong can improve the caliber of any department. Who is ultimately responsible, and what can you do as an individual to meet the changing demands?
We delve into understanding how a strong teamwork environment within a department can strengthen morale at all levels. Ultimately, a high level of morale can become the key in recruitment and retention. What does your department look like from the outside to those that might have an interest in joining it? Are those within the department seeing great camaraderie or experiencing friction? There are several key points we will look at brought forward from a number of situations that can be important when determining the future of any department. Following the presentation, I will open discussion on the topic up to the floor as time permits.
Bio
Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Jasper is currently in his 41st year in the Fire Service in Canada. AC Jasper retired after 30 years as a career firefighter (civilian) with CFB Esquimalt Fire Rescue in Victoria, BC and moved to the Okanagan where he was recruited to the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department in Osoyoos, BC. DC Jasper initially assumed the role at AMFD as a Captain and Training Officer, then quickly promoted to Assistant Chief, and then on to Deputy Chief all the while maintaining his role as Training Officer. DC Jasper recently stepped down as Deputy Chief and Training Officer but remains active as Assistant Chief on the department assisting with all aspects of the job.
During his more than 40 years in the Fire Service, AC Jasper has been involved in many roles ranging from Department Muscular Dystrophy Chair to LODD Committee Chair with the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation to Engine Boss on Wildland Fire Deployments throughout BC and Wildland Mitigation Specialist with Fire Smart.
AC Jasper developed a strong interest in mental well-being within the fire service more than a decade ago, with a focus on strengthening department morale through positive leadership and organizational culture. More recently, AC Jasper has been engaged in developing methods to support fire departments through the effective use of artificial intelligence. Over the past decade, AC Jasper has served as a keynote speaker at fire service conferences across Canada—from the Yukon to Prince Edward Island—including FDIC Atlantic. These presentations have addressed a wide range of mental well-being topics, including awareness, fostering open dialogue, tracking traumatic incidents, and building individual and organizational resilience.
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