When Dylan Kenny moved to Sarnia from Barrie, Ontario four years ago, it was more than just a career move—it was the beginning of a calling fulfilled. Today, she serves as a firefighter with Sarnia Fire Rescue Services, one of just eight women with the service.
For Dylan, becoming a first responder was never really a question of if, but how. Both of her parents built their careers as police officers, and she grew up immersed in that world of service and public safety.
“As a kid, I thought I’d become a police officer too,” Dylan shared. “But my parents encouraged me to think about other first responder roles. They really pushed me towards fire, and it’s amazing. I would never go back to anything else.”
Her path to the firehall began at Seneca College, where she completed a three-year Fire Protection Engineering Technology program. After that came time out west as a wildland firefighter, battling blazes in rugged landscapes. She returned to Seneca to complete the Firefighter Pre-Service Education and Training program, then volunteered with a local fire department before finding her place in Sarnia.
But firefighting isn’t her only commitment. Dylan is also a member of Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves communities before, during, and after disasters. “It’s a great organization,” she explained. “My dad found out about it first, and he was the one who suggested I join.”
Her work with Team Rubicon has taken her across the globe—New Zealand, British Columbia, and Kentucky. “The camaraderie is very similar to the fire department,” she said. “You show up, you don’t know anybody, and then when you leave, you are connected.”
That sense of connection is something Dylan has also found in Sarnia Fire Rescue Services. “The team here is like a second family,” she said. “Honestly, I didn’t plan to stay in Sarnia. I’ve always been a homebody, so being away from my parents and sister was hard. But the people I work with—they’re the reason I stayed. If they weren’t who they are, I wouldn’t still be here.”
Outside the firehall, Dylan’s life is filled with animals, sports, and the outdoors. “My family and I always end up rescuing some sort of animal,” she laughed. “We’ve had four raccoons, birds, squirrels… my dad even has a wild fish at the cottage that he feeds by hand.”
Here in Sarnia, her loyal companion is Jax, her dog, who never misses a walk along the river.
Athletics have also been a constant thread in Dylan’s life. She grew up playing ringette, but when she arrived in Sarnia, she swapped her skates for hockey. “All the guys here were playing, so I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a shot.’ I’m not the best player out there, but I hold my own,” she said with a laugh. Standing six feet tall, she’s also a natural on the volleyball court.
When asked what she loves most about Sarnia, Dylan doesn’t hesitate. “The community here is so interlaced. You meet someone new, and within minutes you find out you already know four people they grew up with. It’s such a close-knit place.”
And then there’s the water. “Every single day I’ll be in the water. The beaches here are beautiful. The people are great. Sarnia has that small-town feel.”
For Dylan, Sarnia has become more than just a place to work—it’s a place to belong. Her story is one of courage, resilience, and heart, and she embodies the very best of what it means to serve. Whether it’s rushing toward danger as a firefighter, lending her skills to disaster relief around the world, or simply being a kind neighbour, Dylan is the type of person who makes a community stronger.
Sarnia is lucky to have her.