The City of St. Thomas has started looking for its next fire chief. The job was posted on October 27th, and applications close on Tuesday, November 24th, at 11:59 p.m.
The search comes six days after the City announced that Fire Chief David Gregory will retire in May 2027, as LocVox reported. At the time, the City said it would start looking for his replacement in the coming months. Chief Gregory joined the department as a firefighter in 1994 and has led it since March 2022.
By law, the fire chief is the head of the department and has to make sure it follows Ontario’s Fire Protection and Prevention Act. The chief is in charge of all of the department’s work: fighting fires, fire prevention, training, public education, emergency management and communications. The chief reports to the City Manager, sits on the City’s senior leadership team, and answers to City Council for how well fire protection is delivered. The job reaches past the city limits too. The chief helps Elgin County’s fire departments work together and serves as the Elgin County Fire Coordinator when needed.
The salary range is $168,206 to $204,455 a year, listed as the 2027 rate. Benefits include the OMERS pension plan. The regular work week is 35 hours, Monday to Friday, but the chief shares after-hours on-call duty with the Deputy Fire Chief, and the department is on call 24 hours a day.
The bar to apply is high. Candidates need at least 10 years of management experience, or an equivalent mix of education, training and experience, plus a degree in a field such as fire protection, emergency management or public administration. They also need a long list of fire-service credentials, including the Company Officers Diploma from the Ontario Fire College or its equivalent, certification as a fire investigator and as an incident commander, and the Ontario Fire Service Standard for Fire Chief.
Whoever gets the job will take over plans that are already moving. At council’s October 13th meeting, the City Manager said an updated Master Plan is being completed for the Fire Department. He also said design work was done to renovate and expand Station 2 on Burwell Road so it can hold a foam truck.
Applications go through the Employment Opportunities section of the City’s website, with a cover letter and resume uploaded separately. Accommodations are available for every part of the hiring process, and anyone who needs one must say so in advance. Questions can go to the City’s Human Resources Department at 519-631-1680 ext. 4146. The City says only people chosen for an interview will be contacted. It also says its hiring process does not use artificial intelligence or automated decision-making tools, and that its hiring team reviews the applications.
Sources: City of St. Thomas job posting: Fire Chief · City of St. Thomas: Fire Chief David Gregory Announces Retirement · Council minutes, October 13, 2026
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
Facebook does not show posts that link to Canadian news sites, so this story is shared as a picture.
- Save the picture.
- Copy the caption.
- Start a Facebook post, add the picture and paste the caption.
Before you go
You read a local story to the end, so St. Thomas news matters to you. Once a week I gather the whole week into one Friday email: top stories, the weekend forecast, what council decided, what police logged, and what's on this weekend. Free, and one click unsubscribes you.
Send me Friday's newsletter