Toronto council appoints Jim Jessop new fire chief
Jessop is currently deputy fire chief and served as acting fire chief from 2020 to 2022
Toronto city council has appointed Jim Jessop as the new fire chief and general manager of Toronto Fire Services.
Jessop, who is currently deputy fire chief, will be in charge of the largest fire service in Canada.
"Together, we will continue to protect residents, visitors and businesses against all hazards through preparedness, prevention, public education and emergency response," he said in a news release issued by the city on Friday.
He replaces Matthew Pegg, who retired in October after more than 30 years of service, including eight years as fire chief.
Jessop previously served as the city's acting fire chief for 25 months between 2020 to 2022, when Chief Pegg became Toronto's COVID-19 incident commander.
Jessop joined Toronto Fire Services (TFS) as a firefighter in 1996, left in 2001 to work for the province, and returned to the city's fire service in 2015.
Council unanimously approved his appointment. Jessop will officially take the role of fire chief on Jan. 2.
The approval came on the same day that interim Fire Chief Larry Cocco welcomed 97 new frontline responders to TFS at a graduation ceremony in Toronto, according to another city release Friday. The addition will enable TFS to conduct more Ontario Fire Code inspections, the release says.