Deputy Fire Chief, Community Risk & Emergency Management (26-296)

Job Title: Deputy Fire Chief, Community Risk & Emergency Management
Bargaining Unit: Non-Union
Language Requirement: English Essential
Vacancy Status: Existing vacancy

Cornwall is a beautiful community with a population of 47,000 situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario. The city offers a wide array of urban amenities, making it an excellent place for a career and raising a family. With a growing economy, expanding population and fantastic quality of life, there has never been a better time to start the next phase of your career with the City of Cornwall! Cornwall is a diverse and progressive community where residents and partners feel safe, welcomed, and enjoy a high quality of life supported by access to financially responsible and sustainable municipal services and infrastructure. 

Position Summary 

Reporting to the Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief, Community Risk & Emergency Management provides senior leadership and oversight for the City’s community risk, prevention, preparedness and regulatory service portfolio. The position is responsible for Emergency Management and the Community Emergency Management Coordinator function, Fire Prevention and Fire Code enforcement, Public Education, Bylaw Services, and broader community risk reduction initiatives.

The Deputy Fire Chief leads through capable functional supervisors and experienced staff, establishes clear priorities and accountabilities, and ensures programs are coordinated across the Corporation and with external partners. The role complements the Deputy Fire Chief, Operations by maintaining a distinct leadership focus on prevention, preparedness and community risk while supporting the Fire Chief in the overall leadership and administration of Fire Services.

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Emergency Management, Fire Prevention, Public Education, Bylaw Services and community risk reduction, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and legislative requirements.
• Serve as the City’s Community Emergency Management Coordinator, coordinating the development, implementation and maintenance of the municipal emergency management program and emergency plan.
• Lead corporate emergency preparedness, including hazard identification and risk assessment, training, exercises, public education, program compliance, continuity considerations and coordination with municipal departments and external agencies.
• Lead and oversee Fire Prevention services, including inspections, Fire Code enforcement, fire investigations, plans examination, public education and risk-based prevention initiatives.
• Provide senior leadership and oversight to Bylaw Services, with the Bylaw Supervisor accountable for day-to-day staff supervision, scheduling, workload and complaint management, file oversight, routine operational decisions and reporting.
• Ensure significant Bylaw matters are appropriately escalated and provide direction on service performance, policy, cross-departmental coordination and broader community risk priorities.
• Make effective use of existing functional leadership within Fire Prevention, ensuring appropriate delegation of daily operations while retaining accountability for performance, consistency, legislative compliance and service outcomes.
• Develop and implement an integrated community risk approach that connects prevention, preparedness, education, compliance and enforcement activities.
• Establish service plans, priorities, performance measures and reporting processes; monitor results, identify gaps and implement improvements.
• Develop, review and implement policies, procedures and operating guidelines that support consistent, fair, risk-based and legally compliant service delivery.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with senior leadership, municipal departments, emergency services, Indigenous and community partners, regulatory agencies and other levels of government.
• Coordinate significant or complex files requiring cross-departmental action, senior-level intervention or corporate direction.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for partnerships, grants, shared initiatives and external funding that strengthen prevention, preparedness and community safety.
• Prepare and present reports, recommendations and briefings to the Fire Chief, Senior Leadership Team, Council and committees, as required.
• Develop and oversee operating and capital budgets for assigned functions and ensure responsible allocation of resources.
• Act for the Fire Chief or fulfill incident, emergency control group and on-call responsibilities when assigned.
• Support the Fire Chief in strategic planning, policy development, succession planning, labour relations and the overall leadership of Fire Services

Leadership of Others

• Provide strategic direction to functional supervisors and staff, establishing clear expectations, delegated authority, performance measures and accountability for results.
• Ensure the Bylaw Supervisor leads the day-to-day operation of Bylaw Services and that experienced prevention personnel provide appropriate functional leadership within Fire Prevention.
• Coach and mentor leaders and employees, support professional development and build organizational capacity across the portfolio.
• Promote a respectful, collaborative, inclusive and accountable workplace focused on service excellence and continuous improvement.
• Participate in recruitment, onboarding, performance management, succession planning and other people-management processes.
• Ensure resources are deployed effectively and that workload, service pressures and emerging risks are monitored and addressed.

Position Requirements 

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in fire administration, emergency management, public administration, business administration or a related field.
• NFPA Fire Officer III or an equivalent combination of senior fire service education and leadership experience.
• Community Emergency Management Coordinator qualification, or the ability to obtain and maintain the qualification within a timeframe established by the City.
• Valid Ontario Class “D” driver’s licence with “Z” air brake endorsement.
• Valid first aid and CPR certification.

Experience:

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible fire service experience, including at least three years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
• Demonstrated senior-level experience in emergency management, fire prevention, community risk reduction, program administration or a related municipal service environment.
• Experience leading diverse teams or service areas through functional supervisors and subject-matter experts.
• Experience working across departments and with external agencies, community organizations and regulatory partners.
• Direct municipal Bylaw experience is considered an asset rather than a requirement.

Equivalent combination of education and experience may be acceptable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Senior Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead a diverse portfolio, establish priorities, delegate effectively and hold functional leaders accountable for results.
• Emergency Management: Strong knowledge of municipal emergency management, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, including corporate coordination, training and exercise requirements.
• Fire Prevention and Community Risk: Strong understanding of inspections, investigations, public education, Fire Code enforcement and risk-based prevention strategies.
• Regulatory Oversight: Ability to provide sound senior oversight to regulatory and enforcement functions while relying on qualified supervisors and technical staff for day-to-day administration and subject-matter expertise.
• Legislative Knowledge: Strong understanding of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Ontario Fire Code, Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, municipal bylaws and other applicable requirements.
• Strategic Planning and Performance: Ability to translate corporate objectives and legislative obligations into clear work plans, accountabilities, measures and service improvements.
• Judgement and Problem-Solving: Sound, risk-based judgement and the ability to manage complex, sensitive or escalated matters in a fair and defensible manner.
• Communication: Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, including the ability to prepare reports and brief senior leadership, Council, community partners and the public.
• Collaboration: Strong relationship-building and coordination skills across municipal departments, emergency services, outside agencies and community partners.
• People Leadership: Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor and develop staff while promoting accountability, collaboration and a respectful workplace.
• Financial Management: Experience developing and managing operating and capital budgets and allocating resources according to risk and organizational priorities.

Working Conditions 

• Work is performed in office and field environments, including fire stations, municipal facilities, community settings, external meetings and emergency scenes.
• Requires availability for on-call duty, meetings outside regular working hours and response to significant incidents or municipal emergencies.
• May involve exposure to fire, smoke, hazardous materials, extreme temperatures, loud noise and other emergency-scene conditions.
• Cognitive demands include managing multiple priorities, making decisions under pressure, addressing sensitive regulatory matters and maintaining focus in dynamic environments.
• Physical demands include prolonged sitting and computer use, periods of standing and walking, and occasional climbing or lifting associated with field and emergency duties.

If selected for this role, you will need to provide:

• Successful reference check (two work-related references, with a minimum of one being a direct supervisor)
• Satisfactory Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check
• Satisfactory Driver’s Abstract
• Proof of certifications

Additional Information:
The Corporation of The City of Cornwall strives to promote and demonstrate the values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. We are committed to reflecting the diversity of the community we serve and encourage qualified candidates of all backgrounds and abilities to apply. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Information collected will be handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The City of Cornwall is an equal-opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. At the City, we respect, encourage and celebrate our diversity. The City of Cornwall is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please save a copy of this posting for your records. Please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how you meet each of the required qualifications. Please note, selection for further consideration will be based on the information you provide in your application. Interviews may be conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams or in-person.

To see the full job posting, please visit