Chief Neill Moroz (Image Credit: Kamloops Fire Fighters / Facebook)

By Michael Reeve

Career of service to Kamloops

‘It was a passion and his calling’; Family, colleagues laud former KFR chief Moroz’ heart for emergency response

Feb 11, 2026 | 4:18 PM

KAMLOOPS — Former Kamloops Fire Rescue Chief Neill Moroz passed away this week after a short battle with occupational cancer. Moroz spent 28 years with KFR before he retired as chief, he then went on to work with the BC Wildfire Service and the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS).

Flags at fire stations in Kamloops are at half staff, honouring the life and legacy of former Chief Moroz. Working from recruit to chief over his 28 years with Kamloops Fire Rescue, Moroz endeared himself to his brothers and sisters in uniform, and the community.

“You go anywhere within the community of emergency response and you say his name or they see my last name, they are like, ‘Hey, do you know…’ and I proudly get to say, ‘Yeah, that’s my dad,'” said Derek Moroz, speaking to CFJC Today Wednesday (Feb. 11). “You know, anything major that has happened in this province the last 10, 15 years, he has had some part in it.”

While the Moroz name may be synonymous with emergency response in British Columbia, being a dad and grandad was his true passion.

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“It was because he gave back to the community and everybody else, we would have done anything for anyone, especially our family and that passed on to grandkids later on,” said Derek Moroz. “Famous line he says to me now that he has a lot of grandkids, ‘If I could have had grandkids first, I would have.’ It’s kind of his sense of humour.”

Moroz passed away less than a year after being diagnosed with occupational cancer.

“More often than not, they give the ultimate sacrifice. When you look at the rates of cancer and heart disease and those kind of things within the fire department and the emergency services in general, it’s too high,” said the younger Moroz.

Firefighters risk their lives everyday, but that is a risk they knowingly take for the communities they love.

“What scares me is what comes afterward,” said Rob Chalmers, former member of KFR. “At that stage when I was in the job 10 years, 12 years or whatever it was involved in the union, we were really starting to recognize the numbers of our brothers and sisters who were getting sick and dying of all these cancers. And that was the real impetus for us to start lobbying government hard.”

His family and friends said Moroz had none of the risk factors for the cancer prior to diagnosis.

During his time as chief, he was on the frontlines of the changing conversations around firefighter protection.

“He was cutting-edge with all that stuff. Kamloops never ever wanted for anything when it came to equipment, especially when it came to the safety end of things,” added Chalmers. “For sure, he was passionate about that. He wanted to protect his guys.”

Neill Moroz was 65.

“For him, it was a passion and his calling. That is where we take comfort in with all this – he wouldn’t have changed anything,” said Derek Moroz. “He was an amazing person, always giving. He will be missed”