Canadian Emergency Services Collaborative Innovation Lab

Dave Waterhouse is a senior fire service executive with over 25 years of experience helping communities better understand, prevent, and manage risk. As Assistant Chief of the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), along with other responsabilities he leads the Emergency Communications Center and Operational Planning Service Center, driving innovation in business continuity, sustainability, and data-informed decision-making.

Throughout his career, Dave has worked to bridge the gap between operations, strategy, and research, aligning daily practice with long-term community resilience. His international collaborations with the NFPA Research Foundation and his economic research on the return on investment of fire services have influenced both public policy and professional practice in fire safety and emergency management.

A dedicated mentor and educator, Dave is passionate about developing the next generation of fire service leaders, encouraging curiosity, empathy, and systems thinking as core leadership values. He holds an MBA from the Université de Sherbrooke, a bachelor’s degree in management from HEC Montréal, and dual diplomas in Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Management. He is a Certified Executive Chief Fire Officer (ECFO) and a Chartered Administrator (Adm.A).

Michelle Gervais is an emergency management executive with over two decades of experience advancing resilience and operational readiness across municipal, provincial, and territorial systems. As Deputy Director of Emergency Services for the Government of Nunavut, she leads programs that strengthen organizational coordination, community preparedness, and emergency response capacity.

Michelle has guided large-scale initiatives in community risk assessment, emergency operations, and evacuation planning, helping governments and agencies align strategy with practical implementation. Known for her calm leadership and strategic insight, she’s built a reputation for uniting diverse stakeholders to improve how systems function under pressure.

Her work blends technical expertise with an understanding of human systems, ensuring that emergency management remains both effective and grounded in lived realities. She’s committed to advancing adaptive, evidence-informed approaches that strengthen resilience at every level.

Rebecca Allen is a commercial and organisational leader with over twenty-five years’ experience building and leading businesses through periods of growth, change, and complexity. She currently chairs the board of Positive News, an independent journalism organisation, and brings practical experience of governance, strategy, and organisational decision-making at early and mid-stage.

In recent years, Rebecca has focused her work on mission-driven organisations and leadership teams across the UK and North America. Drawing on her commercial background, she supports leaders on strategic clarity, organisational alignment, and responsible approaches to innovation, including the use of emerging technologies such as AI. Her work emphasises aligning purpose, people, and performance as organisations scale.

She has growing involvement in the fire and emergency services sector, including keynote work with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and ongoing engagement with leaders exploring human-centred approaches to innovation and change. Rebecca is supporting CESCIL at board level as it shapes its governance, strategy, and long-term sustainability.

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