Council appoints new fire chief
The Recorder & Times
The City of Brockville officially has a new fire chief.
At a council meeting Tuesday, Melanie Jones was officially appointed as the city’s fire chief, marking the first time a woman has served in the role in the city’s history.
As part of the formal appointment, the council chambers were filled with several firefighters and police officers to mark the occasion as Jones took her seat at the meeting among city staff.
Marking the new chief’s appointment, Wren said he was delighted to have Jones on board.
“Chief Jones we are thrilled to welcome you to the city of Brockville. We certainly all look forward to working with you for many, many years to come,” he said at the meeting.
Jones began her career as a firefighter with Kingston Fire and Rescue, and progressed through the ranks to her most recent role as deputy chief in Kingston.
“As the deputy chief in Kingston, she was responsible for operations and training of both career and volunteer staff,” Wren said.
“In addition to her tenure as deputy chief, she created strategic partnerships within the city, and initiated a committee for a girls fire camp in Kingston.”
She holds an advanced diploma in public administration from Ryerson University, a master’s degree in public administration and a Bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Calgary – her hometown.
Chief Jones has also served as a part-time professor for St. Lawrence College and Laurentian University, Wren added.
“It’s a sign of encouragement to see so many people from the department here,” he said.
“I’ve tried to take every opportunity to thank our fire service after the dangerous and significant event that occurred in our city just two weeks ago, one of the biggest fires in our city in decades. It’s very clear to me you’re taking the helm of an organization with very dedicated, talented people.”
City of Brockville officials announced last month that Jones was hired after an “in-depth hiring process.”
In a speech to council on Tuesday, Jones said she was “very excited to be here.”
“I can’t tell you enough (about) the warm welcome I’ve had,” she said.
“The department has been phenomenal, and watching what they’ve gone through in the last little while, and appreciating how hard they’ve worked – I feel very fortunate to be coming here to do this.”
Jones succeeds David Lazenby, who left earlier this year to join the senior ranks of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services. Brockville Deputy Chief Chris Paul has been serving as interim chief.