Marc Rathwell

By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge Fire Chief Marc Rathwell announces retirement

Nov 24, 2021 | 2:18 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – After serving 2.5 years as Lethbridge’s Fire Chief and serving over 20 years in the city, Marc Rathwell is retiring.

Rathwell’s final day with the City will be February 11, 2022. “I’ve had a great career with the City of Lethbridge,” says Chief Rathwell.

“Despite the challenges of the past couple of years, I’ve had some wonderful experiences and have had the opportunity to work with amazing people.”

Rathwell was first hired as a Paramedic/Firefighter in 1996, his career has seen him move through the ranks with the City of Lethbridge.

“In 2010, he became the Medical Training Officer, then served as a Lieutenant in 2014 and advanced to Captain in 2016. He became Deputy Chief in November 2018 and Chief in June 2019.

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Rathwell has been adamant in his support for retention of Lethbridge’s integrated service delivery model and has been at the forefront of dealing with the local impacts of the ongoing drug crisis and COVID-19 pandemic,” the city release reads.

The city says there are ongoing efforts to find Rathwell’s replacement as they believe the right candidate will come from within the city.

Lethbridge’s new Mayor, Blaine Hyggen says he wishes Rathwell the best and thanks him for his help through the challenging times of COVID-19.

“I want to thank Chief Rathwell for his contributions to the City and especially for his excellent leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We know we have big shoes to fill with Chief Rathwell’s departure and we thank him for his amazing tenure with the City.”

The City hopes to have a new Fire Chief in place by mid-January, allowing time to transition into the position and train with Chief Rathwell prior to his retirement.