Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State

Although Bryden Pelletier completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees more than a decade ago, he has unceasingly continued to learn and broaden his professional skills. Now Acting Deputy Fire Chief for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, the 2013 Adams State graduate is the university’s Exceptional New Alumnus for 2025.

Pelletier will receive the award at the 2025 Alumni Homecoming Awards Ceremony, Friday, October 3, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in Vistas Grill (2nd floor Rex Stadium.) The ceremony will be followed by a reception from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Marvel House, 2nd St. and Richardson Ave. Tickets are no charge, but please RSVP by calling 719-587-8110, or by email to: ulcisneros@adams.edu.

While earning his B.A. in sociology/criminology at Adams State, Pelletier completed an internship with FEMA assisting emergency management in Alamosa. From there he went to Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland, where he earned an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Development. He also completed a Labour Relations Certificate at Queen’s University, Ontario, and a Community Data Science Certificate at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia. Pelletier is now working on a Public Policy Executive Certificate from Harvard University.

IBryden Pelletier Adams State University Exceptional New Alumnus Awardn December 2020, he co-founded and became director of a consulting company that partners with first responder organizations to analyze and understand their existing and emerging industry trends.

At Adams State, Pelletier was a two-time team captain, named a 1st team all-conference player, and won the Men’s Lacrosse Grizzly Bear Award. In graduate school, he was a starter for the NCAA Division 1 men’s lacrosse team. “My Adams State coach, John McCreery, and sociology professor, Cindy Whitney, really supported me in graduating early and taking an extra course load,” he said. “My teammates were great. I really enjoyed the people from Colorado and their hospitality, such as hosting me for holidays away from home.” He remains very close with his roommate, Seth Stowell, and his parents, Dale and Margo. Pelletier has great memories of time spent with the Stowell family and Seth’s mother, Margo, who recently passed away.

“I always wanted to be a firefighter, ever since I can remember,” Pelletier recalled, noting the profession in Canada is extremely competitive. (Law school was his Plan B.) He joined Vancouver Fire Rescue Services in 2016, after being named the Top Recruit for Class #180 at the Training Division Fire Academy in Crowley, Texas. Since then, he has completed several dozen courses and certificates from the National Fire Protection Association, Incident Command Systems, FEMA, and in labor relations and human resources.

After working six years as a full-time firefighter with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, Pelletier was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief of Occupational Health, Safety & Wellness in 2022. This made him one of the youngest fire chiefs in the department’s 136-year history and one of the youngest metro fire chiefs in North American history. He assumed his current position in 2024.

Pelletier’s community service includes serving on the Board of Directors with Vancouver Firefighter Charities and the Vancouver Fire Fighters’ Credit Union. He also serves on the Cancer Prevention Committee of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. He has logged more than 2,200 hours of volunteer time with 15 different organizations and causes.

Pelletier’s accomplishments have resulted in several awards, including the Mount St. Mary’s University 2024 Distinguished Young Alumni Award. In 2024 he was also named:

  • Canadian Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Professional of the Year
  • Canadian Rising Star of the Year: the top individual in Canada under the age of 40 for the entire OHS profession
  • 2024 Top 25 Under 40: Canadians within the OHS profession

He was also recognized with the following awards:

  • 2023 Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders in Canada, Peak Magazine
  • 2022 Emerging Leaders Health & Safety Institute Recipient, 3M & Tesla
  • 2021 Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Firefighter of the Year, the youngest firefighter in both age and seniority to be so honored
  • 2020 British Columbia’s Top 30 under 30, BC Business Magazine
  • 2019 Canadian Labour Congress Award (Pacific Region)

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