Maj Rick Dunning, CD
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Update: On 07 September 2016, Major Rick Dunning, CD transferred from the Regular Force to the Primary Reserve after more than 35 years. Now, having served a total of more than 43 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineer Branch, he will retire on 25 October 2022. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to Maj K.J. Stevens.
Major Rick Dunning originally joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1979 as a reservist with the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment. In 1981, he transferred to the Regular Force as a Combat Engineer, becoming a military firefighter in 1986.
Maj Dunning deployed to Haiti to provide engineering and medical support to Operation PIVOT during the mid-1990s. He was awarded a Contingent Commander’s Commendation for medical work he performed for both military members and local Haitian civilians. In 1998, while serving on HMCS IROQOUIS as the Senior Fire Fighter, he and his section of military fire fighters were assigned to the recovery efforts for the Swiss Air Flight 111 disaster, off the coast of Nova Scotia. The next year, Maj Dunning was offered a commission.
In 2003, Maj Dunning served as the Camp Engineer during the early days of Camp Mirage and deployed into several other Middle Eastern countries in support of Operation APOLLO. Upon returning to Canada, Rick became the 14 Wing Fire Chief in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. In 2006, he deployed to Sudan, Africa, as part of Operation SAFARI where he was both the operations officer and the acting site leader in a very remote jungle position. In 2007 and 2008, Maj Dunning served as the project officer, working with a team of DND and CAF firefighters to develop the Armoured Vehicle Extrication capability that would eventually be used in Afghanistan to extract
injured soldiers from damaged or destroyed vehicles. The next year, Rick earned a Bachelor’s degree in Military Arts and Sciences from the Royal Military College of Canada. He also completed a Master’s Degree in Disaster and Emergency Management with Royal Roads University, completing his thesis on CFS Alert’s disaster and emergency response capabilities.
Next, Maj Dunning served as the RCAF Fire Marshal from 2009 to 2013. Of note during this time was the coordination role required during Operation HESTIA following severe earthquakes in Haiti. Firefighting vehicles and personnel were force-generated for airfield protection and Urban Search and Rescue tasks. In 2014, Rick became the Commanding Officer for CFS Alert.
In 2016, Major Dunning transferred to the Primary Reserve, after assuming the role of Director for Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services for the Government of Ontario. After three years of intense learning about wildfires, Major Dunning returned to the CFFM’s office to develop the DND wildfire program. Major Dunning will retire from the CAF on 25 Oct 22 and continue as a civilian within the CFFM’s office, focused on wildfires and next-generation firefighting foam agents.
Maj Dunning is married to Colleen (Storey) Dunning and they are grandparents to three of the cutest little girls any grandparents could ever hope to have.