New Winnipeg fire paramedic chief named

The mayor says the incoming chief of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is the right person for the job at a time of huge demand and increased strain on employees.

“Ryan Sneath brings steady leadership, proven experience, and a strong understanding of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement.

“At a demanding time for emergency services, I know he will keep supporting front-line staff, strengthening workplace culture, and making sure Winnipeggers continue to receive excellent care when they need it most.”

Sneath, who has been deputy chief of paramedic operations and training since 2021, will officially begin the job July 6.

The service said Sneath wouldn’t comment Tuesday, but will speak to the media once he takes over as chief.

The skyrocketing number of drug overdose calls has increased pressure on emergency services and reduced the availability of fire and paramedic units to respond to other emergencies across the city.

As a deputy chief, Sneath has led WFPS’s delivery of integrated fire, paramedic and emergency management services, the city said.

He also served as department culture lead, helping to foster an inclusive workplace. In a previous role as assistant chief of paramedic operations, he was in charge of the day-to-day operations of emergency medical services.

Sneath is also the president of the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada, a national association of paramedic leaders that advocates for the profession.

Sneath has worked in emergency medical services for more than 25 years, says his biography for that organization.

His career has included two years as executive director for emergency response services for provincial health agency Shared Health, his biography said.

“I know (incoming Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service chief Ryan Sneath) will keep supporting front-line staff… and making sure Winnipeggers continue to receive excellent care when they need it most.”

In that role, he directed and oversaw all emergency medical services and patient transport — for ground and airplane ambulances — for the province.

Sneath was described in the biography as “instrumental” in the development of Winnipeg’s community paramedic program.

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Sneath, an advanced care paramedic, has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Manitoba and was in the process of completing his master’s degree in health administration through the University of Regina, said the biography, written in 2023.

Sneath was given the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada in 2021.

The medal is given to emergency medical professionals who have worked for at least 20 years, with good conduct, industry and efficiency, according the governor general’s office.

Christian Schmidt, who joined the service in 1993 and served in a number of roles, was appointed chief in 2021. He announced in April he would retire in July. The city said Sneath was appointed via a competitive recruitment process.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.