Monica Budiselic has held a Deputy Fire Chief position with a Northern Rural Volunteer Fire Department and has been involved operationally and administratively at all levels and ranks in the fire services since the mid 1990’s. Monica has worked her way up in the emergency first responder field from first responder medical, firefighter, fire station officer, administrative officer, fire prevention officer, fire investigator and training officer up to her present position of Matawa Emergency Management Coordinator/Fire Marshal. During her fire career she was involved in ground and aerial search and rescue in northern Ontario. She is also a Champion for the FireSmart Program and promotes and practices it at every opportunity. Monica has been known to pack a chainsaw, axe and bow saw when travelling in the bush. She has taught emergency management and incident management system and incident command system to first responders and held a municipal Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) position.

She has studied at the Ontario Fire College (OFC) and has received her diplomas for Company Officer, Fire Prevention Officer, Fire Investigator, Public Information Officer, Public Fire and Life Safety Educator, Fire Services Instructor. She has received her equivalency compliance to the National Fire Protection Association Standards (NFPA) through the OFC curriculum. She is a graduate of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021; NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications Current Edition: 2014 – Fire Officer III (2015 March) and NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications Current Edition: 2014 – Fire Officer IV (2016 March) and many more certifications/qualifications.

Monica is an advocate for maintaining currency of knowledge, skill, experience and motivation for her likes and dislikes in her chosen profession. She believes that if you are committed to mitigation and prevention in today’s world of wildfire behavior, you should strive to “Braid” the knowledge of the Old Wise Ways to the future of the unknown…