Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief

Job Posting#: 2026-06-02 Status: Permanent Full-Time Vacancy Type: Existing Union/Non-union: Non-Union Date Posted: June 2, 2026 Annual Salary: $182,971.77 Closing Deadline: June 19, 2026 Department/Division: CAO's Office / Stratford Fire Department Location: On-Site (Stratford, ON) Duties: Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief provides strategic and operational leadership for the City’s Fire Services division, including fire suppression, fire prevention, fire training and emergency planning. The role is responsible for advancing a comprehensive community safety strategy and ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of fire protection services. The Director is also responsible for overseeing Stratford Municipal Airport. Work Performed: Provides strategic and operational leadership for the delivery of fire services, including resource planning, workforce management, and performance oversight. Leads the development and administration of the department’s operating and capital budgets, including long-term capital planning and forecasting. Leads the development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures and long-term strategies to support effective and efficient fire service delivery. Provides strategic advice to Council and the Corporate Leadership Team on fire services, including prevention, suppression and inspections and public education initiatives. Identifies emerging trends and best practices, and leads the evaluation and implementation of programs, studies, and initiatives to enhance service delivery. Represents the department at Council and Corporate Leadership Team meetings, provides reports, recommendations and strategic input to support decision-making. Develops and maintains effective working relationships with emergency service partners and external agencies, including police services, paramedic services, public health authorities, emergency management organizations, provincial agencies, and community stakeholders to support coordinated emergency response and community safety initiatives. Ensures that the department is aware of and abides by all legislative requirements, regulations and standards, including the Ontario Fire Code and Municipal Act. Oversees the enforcement of applicable City by-laws including the development of enforcement procedures, issuance of orders and initiation of prosecutions to achieve compliance. Oversee the administration of fire-related permits and fee structures, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, including the Fire Code, Building Code and municipal policies. Ensures effective health and safety programs and practices and operational standards are in place, with appropriate training and compliance across the department. Leads fire prevention and public education initiatives, including community engagement programs. Serves as a media spokesperson for the department and represents the City in matters related to fire and emergency services Responsible Director for the Stratford Municipal Airport Qualifications: University degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Applied Business in Emergency Services, Fire Sciences, or Fire Engineering or a related discipline. Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in fire services, including at least seven (7) years at a senior officer level with demonstrated expertise in operations, legislation, and industry standards. Demonstrated management experience in a unionized environment, including exposure to collective agreement administration and labour relations. Proven ability to lead and command fire service operations in both routine and emergency situations. Experience working with elected officials and senior leadership in a municipal or public sector environment. Specialized Skills, Abilities, Training, License, Memberships, or Certifications Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) certification, or the ability to obtain within a defined timeframe. Completion of, or eligibility for, senior fire officer certification (e.g., NFPA-aligned Fire Officer IV or equivalent combination of education and experience). Incident Command System (ICS) training appropriate to a senior command role. Valid Ontario Class “G” driver’s licence in good standing; a Class “DZ” licence with air brake (Z) endorsement is preferred or must be obtained within a defined timeframe. Applications will be received until June 19, 2026, at 4:30 pm. Interested applicants can submit their application via the City of Stratford's website. The City of Stratford is not using Artificial Intelligence (AI) at any stage of the recruitment process. The City of Stratford is committed to building a culture where difference is valued. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be on behalf of the community we serve. We are committed to continuously improving our systems, policies and practices to remove barriers, promote respect and ensure our employees, in all their diversity, can succeed. We encourage and welcome qualified applicants with a diverse range of perspectives, skills and lived experiences to apply. Accommodations are available for people with disabilities throughout all stages of the recruitment process. Applicants should make their needs known in advance. While we appreciate all applications received, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Personal information collected in response to this advertisement is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001 to determine eligibility for employment with the City of Stratford. Please direct inquiries to the Human Resources Department at View email address on municipalinfonet.com Human Resources Department City Hall, P.O. Box 818 Stratford, ON N5A 6W1