By then, Paul Smith (1983-1995) had succeeded Bud Kellet as
Director and would steer the Division over the next twelve years. Early on,
Smith led the development of volunteer fire fighting certification based on
new provincial standards established by the Office of the B.C. Fire Commis-
sioner and oversaw the spread of multimedia distance education modules
(innovative video Edukits), which lowered the cost of delivering courses
to both full-timers and volunteers. Near decade’s end, the Academy was
featuring four-day intensive, hands-on simulation training, drawing on
props and equipment such as a Mack pumper, and a full-size light airplane
for Company, Command, Administrative Officer, Fire Prevention Inspector
and Training Officer programs. The Division was working with the Pacific
Traffic Education Centre to deliver driver-training courses to fire depart-
ments and had introduced the Fire Officer Leadership Diploma Program.

In the mid-90s, the Academy was providing training and services
for more than 20,000 fire fighters, marine and industrial personnel in B.C.
and elsewhere—with courses in marine fire fighting, hazardous materials,
rescue, auto extrication and incident command. Another highlight of 1995,
the year the Justice Institute moved to New Westminster, was the provincial
government's transfer to the Justice Institute of the Fire and Safety Training
Centre~~a live fire training facility located in Maple Ridge (formerly a
campus of the Pacific Marine Training Institute, which once taught ship
crews). As the Fire and Safety Division received $1.5 million for a new four-
storey burn building, the Centre was soon to rank as the top such facility in
Canada.

In 1996, the Fire Academy at the New Westminster campus and the
Fire and Safety Training Centre in Maple Ridge were merged as the Fire and
Safety Division. Following Paul Smith as Director in 1997 was John Vokes, a
career fire fighter from Hamilton and a deputy in the Office of the B.C. Fire
Commissioner. At that time, industry supported the Maple Ridge campus
rail derailment site for hazardous materials training, while the Division
developed a rail tank-car specialist program.

In 2000, the Fire and Safety Division offered a new Fire Service Lead-
ership Diploma Program, and was training community-based evaluators to
assess the skill levels of volunteer fire fighters in communities around the
province. To decentralize its operations, the Division was strongly encour-
aging fire departments to host courses and the regional training weekends
in their own local areas—from Saanich, Sidney and Comox to Langley,
Golden and Dawson Creek. As well as its mushrooming list of municipal
and industrial clients, the Division was attracting international fire trainees
from countries such as Saudi Arabia (where its instructors have trained
clients in forty-eight-degree heat).

In 2004, John Vokes left his position, and Glen Maddess assumed
the leadership role in the Division from 2004 to 2007. A former Fire Chief

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