April 15th 2021 - Tom Sampson - Former Chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency

Former Chief of the Emergency Management Agency, Tom Sampson enjoyed an illustrious 35-year career in public service. Sampson joined the City of Calgary as a paramedic and spent 24 years in Emergency Medical Service; his final 10 years were spent as the Chief of the EMS. Regarding education, he holds a President’s Honour Diploma as an Advanced Care Paramedic. He has received numerous awards such as the Alberta Award, the Dickson’s Bursary for Paramedicine, and most recently, the Meritorious Service Medal.

Sampson is quoted as stating: “The two great loves in my life are my family and public service.” which was clearly illustrated through his decision to delay his retirement until after the State of Local Emergency had subsided within the city, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sampson is no stranger to adversity within the city as he spearheaded the creation of the Emergency Operations Centre which opened 6 months before the 2013 floods. Spreading his knowledge and experience, he has also led campaigns to support those in need due to disasters across the province. These campaigns include catastrophic events such as the 2016 Fort McMurray and the 2011 Slave Lake wildfires.

As the former Chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency and one of three Commanders of Canada Task Force 2, Tom Sampson pulled all the strings for planning, preparedness and response in the case of major emergencies. That means collaborating with heads of 60 agencies including Police, Fire, EMS, ENMAX, ATCO Gas, Alberta Health Services and many more. That translates to over 100,000 people whose talents and efforts can be brought to bear in the event of a disaster. Sampson remains licensed as an Advanced Care Paramedic and a Certified Emergency Manager.