St. Thomas Fire Chief David Gregory will retire in May 2027, the City of St. Thomas announced on October 21st. The City says it will start looking for the next fire chief in the coming months.
Whoever gets the job will take over planning work that is already under way. At council’s October 13th meeting, the City Manager said an updated Master Plan is being completed for the Fire Department, and that a possible fire station site on Queen Street will be considered “at the appropriate time as the City expands.”
He also said design work was done to renovate and expand Station 2, the Captain Dennis Redman Memorial Substation on Burwell Road, so it can hold a foam truck. Foam is used when fuel or other flammable liquids catch fire. Water sinks below those liquids and can leave them burning, while foam spreads across the surface and smothers the fire.
Chief Gregory also proposed a vacant building registry after 2025 fires at the former Weatherhead building and two heritage buildings on Talbot Street. Owners of empty buildings would have to register them with the City, name a contact person, and keep them secured and up to code. Council asked City staff in May to draft the by-law, and it has not come back to council since.
It has also been a busy year for the department. In July, the department said 2026 was its busiest start to a year on record, with calls up 19 percent over the same time in 2025, as LocVox reported.
Chief Gregory was born and raised in St. Thomas and joined the department in 1994 as a probationary firefighter. After about 20 years as a firefighter, he became a Captain and later Acting Platoon Chief. He moved into Fire Prevention in 2020, became Deputy Chief in January 2022, and has been Fire Chief since March 2022.
“It’s been like winning the lottery,” he said in the City’s announcement. He grew up in the courthouse district, not far from the original fire station, and has spent his whole career serving his hometown. In retirement, he plans to spend more time with his family and on his farm. Mayor Joe Preston thanked him on behalf of council and residents for his “outstanding service and dedication” over more than three decades.
The City says its search will help ensure a smooth handover before Chief Gregory retires.
Sources: City of St. Thomas: Fire Chief David Gregory Announces Retirement · Council minutes, October 13, 2026 · City of St. Thomas tender 2026-003: Fire Station No. 2 Addition · Report FD-06-26: Vacant Building Registry · Council minutes, May 19, 2026
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
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