Tillsonburg council gives thumbs up to two hires

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tillsonburg council approved the hiring of two employees, although one of the positions is on a temporary contract basis to fill a leave of absence.

The addition of a deputy fire chief is a new position that was not part of the 2025 budget, but is a role that existed in the past. The last time Tillsonburg had a deputy fire chief was in 2022.

Discussion of the personnel matters took place in closed session, as is the practice according to the Municipal Act.

Asked the reason for filling the deputy chief position at present, Tillsonburg CAO Kyle Pratt provided the following rationale via e-mail:

1) Operational Resilience and Leadership Continuity

• Ensure command coverage during major incidents or when the fire chief is unavailable.

• Support incident command structure for complex emergencies, especially with Tillsonburg’s growing dispatch responsibilities across 61 external fire stations.

• Enhance response coordination for high-risk calls, including motor vehicle rescues and structure fires.

2) Oversee firefighter development, operational readiness and firefighter health and safety

3) Administrative efficiency

• Assist with compliance oversight under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and Ontario Fire Code.

• Manage training programs and inter-agency collaboration.

• Support the fire chief in budget planning, policy development, and strategic initiatives.

4) Succession planning and staff development

• Build a leadership pipeline to ensure continuity and preserve institutional knowledge.

• Mentor officers and support career progression for Tillsonburg’s paid-on-call firefighters.

5) Enhanced fire prevention and public education

• Strengthen public engagement, including social media outreach and education events.

• Support compliance with emerging legislation and NFPA standards for fire prevention and safety.

The cost of the deputy fire chief position for the remainder of 2025 will be funded through the fire labour surplus. If there is no surplus available in 2026, the position would result in a 0.74 per cent levy increase.

An ad for this position will be going out shortly.

The deputy clerk position is temporarily vacant due to deputy clerk Amelia Jaggard taking the position of acting clerk due to the clerk’s leave of absence. There is no budget increase associated with this position.