Former Fire Chief Darby Allen is the recipient of the 2017 Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) President’s Award for Outstanding Public Relations and Communications Management.
The prestigious public relations honour is awarded to an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership through communications.
Allen was presented with the award in Kelowna B.C. on May 29, by CPRS National President, Kim Blanchette, for his leadership during the heroic fight against the 2016 Alberta wild fires.
“I’m honoured to present Darby Allen with the President’s Award on behalf of the CPRS Board of Directors. Even while battling ‘The Beast’ chief Allen communicated with clarity and compassion, reassuring his community and the entire country,” said Blanchette. “Mr. Allen’s heroism and leadership during this time was instrumental in the evacuation of nearly 90,000 residents without a single loss of life as a result of the blaze and I’m privileged to be able to thank him on behalf of the Canadian Public Relations Society for his courageous efforts.”
Blanchette says she feels Allen was very deserving of the award and that in addition to having put out the fire and relieve that effort, actually becoming the voice of that for Canadians and being that constant contact in terms of the way he communicated across a number of challenges was courageous and really epitomizes good communications.
“For me it was very personal, being the Vice President for the public affairs for the Alberta Energy Regulator we were doing our own response and having a bit of what Allen was going through and then watching him communicate for me was really wonderful,” said Blanchette, “he spent some time with us and talked with us about the role communications played – it certainly became all encompassing.”
Allen, who has since retired from duty, became the face of the disaster by offering regular updates to Canadians throughout last May’s fires, becoming a National hero who made saving lives his top priority.
“I am both honoured and delighted to receive this year’s CPRS President’s Award,” said Allen. “I’d like to dedicate this to the men and women I had the pleasure of serving with and whose combined efforts were crucial in saving Fort McMurray and the surrounding areas from greater devastation last May.”
This is the eighth time that the CPRS President’s Award for Outstanding Public Relations and Communications Management has been awarded.
Past recipients of the award include Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield, retired General Rick Hillier, the Man in Motion, Rick Hansen and Olympian turned motivational speaker Clara Hughes.
“Darby said in his acceptance speech ‘I can’t believe I’m in the company of an astronaut’ and someone tweeted out ‘no, the astronaut is in the company of a hero,” said Blanchette.
