Halifax’s new fire chief has only been on the job for three days, but her to-do list is already growing. “We need to assess our staffing, our deployment model, our response times, our asset management programs, our strategic planning and our investment in the future,” Chief Deryn Rizzi told CTV News on Wednesday. “My responsibility is also to educate and advocate, so that if we’re looking at a future state of our fire service, what does that look like? What is that going to cost? And then how can we plan for that in the future?” Most recently, Rizzi was chief of Toronto Pearson Airport Fire and Emergency Services. She also has served in Mississauga, one of Canada’s largest cities, and in Vaughan, one of the fastest-growing cities. As for how the latter will help her transition to Halifax, battling its own growth challenges, Rizzi said she’ll be driven by data and analytics. “There will be certain communities that are growing at an exponential rate, whereas other communities may be shrinking,” she said. “So, can we move some resources from one area to another?” Rizzi’s experience in Vaughan taught her to focus on the permitting applications. She plans to “make those processes as smooth as possible but also ensuring that there’s no gaps or duplication in the work we do.” She also points to the need to “work effectively with our developers and those folks looking for alternative solutions to the fire code.” Addressing union concerns about previous management Rizzi replaces Ken Stuebing. He announced his retirement from the department Oct. 1, 2025, after serving with the department for eight years. Only weeks earlier, the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters union said Stuebing and the management team had “lost the trust and support of the firefighters to serve HRM.” “From wildfire preparedness to staffing, from equipment failures to workplace culture, the problems within HRFE leadership are widespread and deeply concerning,” the union alleged on Sept. 16, 2025. CTV News spoke with Brendan Meagher, the president of the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association, by phone Wednesday morning. He said his members want change. “(Rizzi has a) history of earning the respect of the people that have worked in departments with her,” said Meagher. “(She’s) held in high regard, for sure.” Meagher hopes Rizzi is given support from city hall to “put us on a path that reflects the best practices in the industry and also support in addressing issues of the culture in leadership.” Speaking to CTV News, Rizzi acknowledged that culture change doesn’t happen overnight. “It needs sustained effort and it needs to be a broad group of people. So, it cannot just be the fire chief coming in,” she said. Rizzi said the management team sat down together on her first day. “We talked about how our management team has now turned the page and we are collectively working towards engagement, inclusion and looking at stretch assignments, secondments,” she said. The goal, according to Rizzi, is to provide opportunities to keep firefighters involved, engaged, and ensure they can voice ideas and concerns. “Most importantly, on a management side, what people want to see is action, and that’s something that we are really going to focus on,” she said. Moving forward Rizzi called herself a “people leader” who can have transparent conversations and manage expectations. “If you speak to any of the previous fire departments that I’ve worked with, and the firefighters, I think that’s the strength that they would all point to is, I really care about the firefighters,” she said. “I am a passionate firefighter in my heart. I’m very proud to serve alongside the firefighters of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency.” Her CV is padded with achievements like the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Fire Chief of the Year honours in Ontario, and that province’s lieutenant governor’s medal of distinction in public administration, among others. In Halifax, she’ll be managing the $102-million fire budget. She’s the first woman to take the job in the department’s history, but she’s not focused on that. “It’s interesting, I see myself as a fire chief, period,” she said. Rizzi added she believes it is an opportunity of a lifetime and she’s looking forward to the future. “I am just incredibly proud and privileged to be working as the fire chief,” she said. “It came at a point in time in my career I feel I had the leadership maturity to move into this space and be effective and make a difference.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
