Deryn Rizzi named new Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service Chief
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Deryn Rizzi assumes new leadership role effective June 1, 2018
City
Manager Daniel Kostopoulos is pleased to announce that following an extensive
recruitment process, Council has ratified the appointment of Deryn Rizzi as the
new Chief of Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS).
Most
recently, Chief Rizzi served as Deputy Fire Chief with VFRS, having first
joined the service in 2001 as a firefighter. Throughout Chief Rizzi’s extensive
tenure with VFRS, she has been repeatedly promoted through the ranks, assuming
greater leadership roles and responsibilities for fire and
life safety in the positions of training officer, acting captain and captain,
respectively. Chief Rizzi’s proven commitment to service excellence and public
safety helped ensure that VFRS became the first fire department in Ontario to
have all firefighters trained and tested for the National Fire Protection
Association’s Standard for Technical Rescue Personnel Professional
Qualifications. Chief Rizzi’s emergency management experience also includes
serving as an operations officer with the Office of the Fire Marshal.
Mary Reali, Deputy City
Manager responsible for the Community Services Portfolio, which oversees VFRS,
highlighted Chief Rizzi’s extensive education, training and professional
development experience. Chief Rizzi completed undergraduate studies and a
Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. She graduated from York
University with both a Masters of Arts, Disaster and Emergency Management and a
Disaster and Emergency Certificate. Chief Rizzi also holds a Masters
Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Schulich School of Business and is
completing a PhD at York University.
Beyond her work at Vaughan
City Hall and in local fire halls, Chief Rizzi continues to be a trusted,
respected and sought after thought leader, committed to mentoring and educating
about proven and emerging best practices on emergency preparedness. Chief Rizzi
has taught at the Ontario Fire College, Durham College’s Pre-fire Service
Program, George Brown College School of Emergency Management and Humber College
Fire’s Executive Management Program, among others.
Chief Rizzi will be a
member of the Corporation’s Senior Management Team and serve on the Emergency
Management Program Committee. VFRS has approximately 300 firefighters and nine
different fire stations with a new station currently under construction in
Kleinburg. Chief Rizzi succeeds former Fire Chief Larry Bentley,
who retired from VFRS in May 2018, following 38 years of distinguished public
service.
QUOTE
“On
behalf of the City of Vaughan, let me extend my sincerest congratulations to
Deryn Rizzi on becoming Chief of Vaughan
Fire and Rescue Service. Chief Rizzi began her impressive emergency preparedness career in Vaughan. We can all take great pride in her
continued dedication to our community. As Vaughan’s population continues to grow
and as we move forward with exciting new business and residential developments,
Council and the rest of our administration have a true partner in Chief Rizzi. Vaughan’s
firefighters are an impressive team. They are some of the bravest and brightest
in our country. I am confident that under the leadership of Chief Rizzi, these
courageous men and women will continue to keep people, neighbourhoods and our
entire community safe and out of harm’s way.”
-Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua
QUICK FACTS
- Chief Rizzi is the first woman to serve as Chief of VFRS.
- Chief Rizzi serves as Aide-de-Camp to Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor.
- According to the City of Vaughan’s 2016 Satisfaction Survey, VFRS received a 99 per cent satisfaction rating from residents.
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