May 26, 2010
Media contact:
Tara Foslien, Senior Communications Specialist
Office of the Mayor, City of Surrey
14245 56th Ave, Surrey, BC, Canada V3X 3A2
Tel: 604.591.4519
Surrey's Fire Chief joins faculty at UFV
Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis has been appointed to the faculty of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) and will serve as an adjunct professor to help advance the academic goals of the university's teaching and research programs.
"Chief Garis has been instrumental in the development and implementation of many innovative safety initiatives the City has undertaken," says Mayor Dianne Watts. "He is a key partner and adviser in Surrey's Crime Reduction Strategy, and he has won awards for his electrical and fire safety inspection program, which has led to a considerable reduction in the number of marijuana grow operations in our city. He will be a great addition to UFV, and he can provide Surrey with a unique access to the university's research capabilities to support our crime reduction initiatives."
During the three-year term, Chief Garis will have the opportunity to teach, advise, provide mentorship and make presentations to faculty members and students. He will continue to perform his duties as Surrey Fire Chief.
"We are thrilled to have Chief Garis join the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice," says Dr. Darryl Plecas, Dr. Darryl Plecas, RCMP University Research Chair in Crime Reduction, and Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice Research, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley. "The guy is a genius. His approach is consistently scientific and evidence-based, his initiatives are cutting edge, and he is constantly coming up with fundamentally better ways of doing things. He's an outstanding teacher, our students love him, and he is a highly respected leader in the field of public safety. Needless to say, his contributions to public safety in Canada have been significant."
The criteria for appointment as an adjunct faculty member include:
* Level of scholarship (i.e., academic degree, recent contributions to relevant academic or professional literature and/or relevant professional practice);
* Significant and ongoing contributions to the field of expertise relevant to the University's programs of study (i.e., criminology and criminal justice); and
* Willingness and ability to contribute significantly to the faculty within which the appointment is made.
Chief Garis has served as the Fire Chief for the City of Surrey since 2001, when he was promoted from his previous job as Assistant Fire Chief. His prior positions included Fire Chief for the District of Pitt Meadows (1991-1998), volunteer and career firefighter in Pitt Meadows (1980-1988), Coordinator/Instructor at the Justice Institute of B.C. (1988-1991) and Fire and Safety Officer for Expo '86 Corporation (1986-1987). In 2005 he received the Lieutenant Governor of BC's award for Public Safety of his electrical and fire safety inspection program.
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