‘Thoroughly enjoyed my time’: Adjala-Tosorontio fire chief announces departure
Simcoe.com
Adjala-Tosorontio is searching for a new fire chief — again.
Chief Darryl Bailey told Simcoe.com he will be leaving the volunteer department June 30 following his recent decision to accept a new role as a division chief of operations/platoon chief for a fire department located within the Greater Toronto Area.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the township of Adj-Tos and have built many relationships that I will always cherish,” he said in a statement. “The community is very lucky to have a such a great group of firefighters that are highly committed, caring and compassionate. It has been an honour to serve as fire chief.”
Bailey served as chief for a little more than a year, having joined the department in May 2022. Prior to this, he served as the fire chief in Caledon for about five-and-a-half years.
“My new position returns me to the operations division, and I am very excited about this opportunity and feel this is the right fit for me at this point in my career,” he said. “I am really looking forward to a new challenge and a new role that is solely focused on fire-suppression activities.”
Bailey is the fourth person to serve as Adjala-Tosorontio's fire chief in the past three years.
His departure also comes as the township continues to struggle with a high rate of employee turnover.
The financial impact of this turnover rate was a major talking point during this year’s budget discussions.
In 2022, the township lost a dozen full-time workers, which is considerable for a municipality with an average annual head count of 34 workers.
A cost analysis revealed it costs the township about $28,000 each time it loses an employee, which worked out to a total of about $341,000 for the dozen workers who left in 2022.
The township has seen about 25 per cent of its workforce leave on an annual basis for the past four years.
The municipality is also currently looking to fill two other senior positions, including a planner and chief building official.
The township recently posted a hiring notice for the fire chief position, which pays an annual salary between $86,000 and $107,490.
Applications will be accepted until July 21.