Dave Meldrum

Public Information Officer, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service

Dave was assigned the duties of Public Information Officer for the Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service in November of 2007. He is also the Divisional Captain of Safety for the department and is responsible for programs of occupational safety and emergency scene safety for over 400 career and 800 volunteer firefighters.

A graduate of Saint Mary's University, Dave served for 13 years as an infantry reservist with two deployments to Germany. He began his fire service career in 1991, and has worked in front line operations, training and the safety division. As a Training Officer and supervisor, Dave played a leading role in the development of new programs in fire behavior & suppression , thermal imaging , ice rescue, boat operations and instructional methods. Dave also has worked extensively with private industry across Atlantic Canada, in Ireland and Brazil in the formation and training of industrial plant fire and rescue teams.

Dave also serves voluntarily on the organizing committee of FDIC Atlantic, which conducts an educational conference every year for firefighters from across Atlantic Canada.

Phone: (902) 490-6573
Email:   meldrud[at]halifax.ca

Cst. Brian Palmeter
Public Information Officer, Halifax Regional Police

Cst. Palmeter became the Public Information Officer for Halifax Regional Police in May 2009. Reporting to the Chief of Police, Cst. Palmeter serves as the official media spokesperson for the Department and coordinates the release of information to the media and the public.

A police officer for over ten years, Brian’s career has been spent in the Patrol Division. From 2005 to 2009, Brian was a Community Response Officer (CRO) in South End Halifax where he primarily liaised with Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University and University of King’s College. In his role as a CRO, Brian sat on numerous community committees and met regularly with youth in the area.

Brian is active in his community, helping to organize and run a soccer league for children aged 5-8. He also assists with the annual Hair for Hero’s head shave, the primary fundraiser for the Daniel McLellan Memorial Fund which assists families in Atlantic Canada with children suffering from leukemia. This charity is named after a little boy who lost his courageous battle with leukemia at the age of 4 months.

Theresa Rath
Public Affairs, Halifax Regional Police

Theresa Rath has been the Public Affairs Supervisor for Halifax Regional Police since February 2003, with responsibility for promotions, community relations and internal communications. Reporting to the Chief of Police, Theresa manages the communications strategy for the police service and coordinates the release of information to the media, citizens and employees. She is also the alternate media spokesperson for Cst. Jeff Carr.

Previously, she worked in various communications roles with Air Canada in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. She is a Public Relations graduate from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Theresa was an active member of the International Association of Business Communicators for over ten years, and sat on the Board of Directors, Atlantic Chapter in 2003-04. She is passionate about organ donation, and has given countless media interviews and speeches from the donor family perspective. She is also a volunteer spokesperson with the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Corporal Joe Taplin
Media Relations Officer, Halifax District RCMP

A 19-year veteran of the RCMP, Corporal Joe Taplin had previous postings in Peace River and Viking, Alberta, before being transferred to Halifax.

Joe has worked in general duty, highway patrol, school liaison program, community policing, and was the Community Policing Coordinator for Halifax Detachment before moving into the Media Relations position.

Joe coaches football at Saint Mary's University and was a coach with the National Championship Team of 2002. He has worked with a wide range of community and youth groups and for this acknowledged and he was presented with the John Dunlop Memorial Award in 2001. It is a provincial award for police/community involvement. In 2002, Joe was awarded the National I.O.D.E. Police Community Relations Award in Kelowna, B.C., for his continued efforts in building community programs and youth involvement. In 2007, Joe was awarded the Phil Hughes Volunteer Coach of the Year Award by Atlantic University Sport.

As part of the Media Relations section, Joe coordinates the release of information to the media and public regarding incidents of crime, police initiatives and community notifications.

Lori Patterson
Public Affairs, Transit Services

Lori has worked in the Communications/Public Relations field in the Halifax area for over 25 years and is a Graduate of Dalhousie University. She went to work for Metro Transit in 1990, where she has since served as the Public Affairs Manager overseeing the marketing, customer service, public relations and public affairs duties for the transit system. Lori has been the designated Metro Transit Spokesperson for over eighteen years. In the period leading up to amalgamation in 1995/96, Lori also served as Acting Corporate Communications Officer for the future Halifax Regional Municipality and was most recently Acting General Manager for Metro Transit from January through September 2008.

Over the years, she has also worked on many communications projects for the municipality including the roll-out of the municipal Waste Management System and introduction of the residential curbside organics collection program , which won a Canadian Public Relations Society (NS) Gemstone Award for Best External Communications Program and a Jasper Best Audio Visual Award in conjunction with McArthur Thompson & Law Advertising and Public Affairs in 1999. Lori also served as alternate Public Information Officer during a number of high profile events in the municipality including the aftermath of the Swissair Flight 111 Disaster in 1998; the US Terrorist Attack, September 11th, 2001, diversion of 8,000 airplane passengers to Halifax; during Hurricane Juan in 2003 and White Juan in 2004, as well as many key events for Metro Transit. The launch of Metro Transit's premium service, MetroLink, won a Canadian Public Relations Society (NS) Gemstone Award for its marketing & communications program in 2005. Lori has also been very active in the Canadian Urban Transit Association, and has twice been Host System Annual Conference Chairperson. Currently, Lori also serves as Vice Chairperson of the Canadian Urban Transit Association's Communications and Public Affairs Committee.