As 2019 comes to a close, Global News reached out the heads of several major organizations in the city to look back on the last decade and look forward on the next.

Ottawa fire Chief Kim Ayotte took up the job in August 2018 and was soon put to work as tornadoes tore through the capital a little over a month later. He would then lead the department through the tragic crash at Westboro station and floods that forced heavy evacuations in the city earlier this year.

In an interview with Global News, Ayotte looked back on how firefighting has changed in the last decade and looked forward to what the coming year holds for Ottawa Fire Services.

Parts of the following interview have been edited for length and clarity.

What were you doing in 2010?

In 2010, I was the chief of special operations, responsible for all technical rescue teams (The teams include Hazmat/CBRNe, extrication, water and ice rescue, rope rescue, trench rescue and structural collapse and confined space rescue) and emergency management for Ottawa fire.

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