06/08/2026
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Congratulations to the new Chief of Halifax Fire and Emergency Services.
Deryn Rizzi will become the new Chief of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency on Aug. 17, 2026. Chief Rizzi is well regarded for her transformative leadership, operational excellence and commitment to advancing public safety.
Read the full news release at: https://www.halifax.ca/home/news/news-release-halifax-regional-municipality-welcomes-deryn-rizzi-incoming-chief-halifax
Biography for Chief Rizzi
Chief Rizzi began her firefighting career with Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service, in Vaughan, Ont., rising through the ranks to ultimately serve as Fire Chief.
Most recently, Chief Rizzi served as Fire Chief and Director of Toronto Pearson Fire and Emergency Services, where she led a fire service within Canada’s busiest international airport. In this role, she provided oversight to the Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute, a private career college and one of the country’s top fire training centres for pre-fire service students for structural firefighting and international aircraft rescue firefighters. She was also responsible for the airport’s emergency management, preparedness, and resilience portfolio.
Prior to her tenure at Toronto Pearson, Chief Rizzi served as Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management for the City of Mississauga, Ont., where she led a workforce of more than 830 fire service personnel and oversaw an annual operating budget of approximately $170 million. She advanced significant organizational transformation, including the delivery of over $134 million in capital infrastructure projects, fleet and equipment procurement and the implementation of modern, data-driven performance systems that strengthened accountability, operational readiness and service delivery.
Throughout her career, Chief Rizzi’s contributions have been recognized with some of the highest honours in public service, including being named Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association Fire Chief of the Year (2023), receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Distinction in Public Administration (2022) and receiving the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2024) for her continued contributions to public service.
As a recognized thought leader, Chief Rizzi holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management from York University, along with a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University. She has also completed multiple executive certifications through the Smith, Ivey, and Schulich Schools of Business. An active contributor to the advancement of the fire service profession, her writing has been shared in both national and international fire service publications.
