CITYnews halifax : Halifax fire names new ‘transformative’ leader as chief

CITYnews halifax  / By Natasha O’Neill

Hailing from Ontario, Deryn Rizzi is taking the top job as the new Chief of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE).

She’s expected to start the role on Aug. 17 and is the first female to hold the position. Rizzi left Ontario after heading as Fire Chief and Director of Toronto Pearson Fire and Emergency Services, where she led a fire service within Canada’s busiest international airport and was top brass at the Mississauga Fire Service.

Rizzi brings years of experience and is known for her “transformative leadership.”

“I am honoured to join Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency and to serve alongside such a dedicated and respected team. Halifax’s fire service has a long and proud history, grounded in tradition, professionalism and service to the community,” Rizzi said in a press release.

Halifax’s fire service is the oldest department in Canada and serves more than half a million people. It hosts 51 fire stations and more than a thousand employees.

It is a much bigger portfolio from the 22 stations under her command when she was the fire chief in Mississauga.

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• Halifax firefighters call for new leadership, say department ignored reported abuse

“With significant experience leading complex fire and emergency organizations, and a strong track record of operational excellence, she brings the expertise to lead HRFE through a period of continued growth while maintaining the high standard of public safety and emergency services,” Mayor Andy Fillmore said.

She’s taking over the role from Dave Meldrum, who has been the acting chief since October 2025.

Rizzi has 20 years of experience, starting her career as a firefighter in Vaughan, Ont. and climbing the ladder to chief in 2018. She became the first woman ever in that lead role.

Fire department gone through challenges

It’s been a difficult period for HRFE, as the reason the organization went on a hunt for a new chief is that  Ken Stuebing stepped down after pressure mounted for him to resign.

It’s unclear if Stuebing’s decision was impacted by the calls from the union.

In October, Brendan Meagher, president of Halifax Professional Firefighters, said the union went public with concerns after he said members have lost faith in leadership.

“I heard some really impactful statements,” he said about the department’s culture. “Like, ‘this has taken the joy out of my life,’ or ‘this is ruining my family life.’ I saw number of people in tears describing their experiences …. And when the report came back, it was rinsed of all those comments.”

He says leadership has failed to properly respond to reports of racist, misogynistic and homophobic behaviour. One particularly egregious example, he said, occurred earlier this year when two women reported three separate incidents of abuse from the same manager.