The City of Oshawa has a new deputy fire chief.
Mike Barlow has taken the position as of Monday.
It fills the vacancy left by Stephen Barkwell, who is now Oshawa’s fire chief.
Barlow began his firefighting career as a firefigher in Oshawa in 2007 and was promoted through the ranks, most recently holding the job of ‘Acting Captain.’
Now in his new role, Deputy Barlow will oversee the Professional Development and Suppression divisions.
“Mike is a strong mentor and a proven leader within our ranks. We’re extremely happy to welcome Deputy Chief Barlow to our Fire Services management team,” said Fire Chief Barkwell. “His outside-of-the-box thinking and expertise in fire suppression and technical rescue will further enhance our corporate mission of being innovative and collaborative while promoting and protecting the health and well-being of our community.”
Prior to his appointment as Deputy Fire Chief, Barlow was also selected as the Durham A.M. Kiwanis Firefighter of the Year in 2018 for helping to bring and organize the Canadian FireFit Championships to Oshawa. He has held leadership roles on several department committees and has been a member of the Peer Support Team since 2018.
“The city congratulates Mike on his new role with Oshawa Fire Services,” said Adam Grant, Commissioner of Safety and Facilities Services. “As an experienced and dedicated firefighter, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge in the areas of fire suppression and specialized rescue to the Oshawa Fire Services leadership team.”