Paul Fitzgerald | Toronto, ON

“Consider two people: the person you were when you joined, and the person you will be when you retire… those two perspectives will keep you grounded, and remind you that this career can be some of the best days of your life.”

Paul Fitzgerald is the Deputy Fire Chief for Toronto Fire Services (TFS), overseeing Communications and Technology. Chief Fitzgerald began with TFS in January 2023 after a 16-year career with the London Fire Brigade. He shared his answers to our questions in his own words below…

What initially inspired you to join the fire service?

I remember wanting to be a Firefighter from a young age. You will see photos of me, on the back of a fire truck, at around six years old, so I think it is safe to say that it was an early obsession. I would love to have a more profound reason as to why I wanted this career as a child, but at first, it really was just about the trucks, sirens and uniform. That didn’t change a great deal as an adult, but hopefully with a few more meaningful reasons. I have always, and hopefully always will, had a desire to help people. From family and friends to volunteering both in my local community and internationally. I think most Public Safety Professionals would put that down as their number one reason, and I am no different. There is of course a challenging aspect to the operational side, of which I get the most motivation from. It’s fair to say, I also feel very proud wearing the uniform and I hope that I bring some pride to my family and friends too.

What message would you like to share with others in the fire service?

I think my number one message would be to look after your colleagues. Life is hard. Like everyone else, I have had both personal and professional challenges, and I would not be who I am today, without the support of my teammates, family and friends. Those that have spent enough time with me, know that I love the Fire Service and I want everyone else to come to work and enjoy it as much as I do. However, the fire service can be a lonely place, increasingly demanding with, at times, wavering personal resilience to deal with the challenges we face. To that I would say, build a support network around you, both internal and external to your service. Stay professional, stay motivated and try to enjoy it!! If/when it does get too much, seek help and talk to someone, I cannot encourage this enough.

Finally, I think it is a nice exercise to consider two people; The person you were when you joined, and the person you will be when you retire. Looking at your career with those two perspectives will keep you grounded, and remind you that this career can be some of the best days of your life.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

We have a baby girl who is fast approaching two, and let us be very clear, she’s in charge! So, inevitably, we do what she wants to do most of the time. I am a big sports fan, and now that I am in my forties I am doing a bit more watching than playing, but I still play football (soccer) at the weekend. Since moving here from London (U.K.)

I have gone ‘all-in’ on my Toronto teams. I have been a fan of the Raptors since they entered the NBA back in the 90’s, and some 28 years later, they had a tough end to the season, so I threw myself into Hockey… which was another tough end to the season… so now… #letsgobluejays!

What changes do you foresee in the next 5 years in the fire service?

These are challenging times for both our communities and our colleagues. I hope that we move with those times and that we build teams and workplaces that ensure people feel seen, safe and valued. Fire services must become a more inclusive, compassionate profession. One that prioritizes mental health and the people within it. We certainly have that leadership within Toronto Fire Service, which is something I am grateful for.

TFS has been published and recognized as the model of best practice with respect to our approach and use of data. Through data-informed decision making, continuous improvement is possible. Within the next five years, you can expect modernization to not only on-scene response but also the way in which we receive 911 calls. The City is preparing for Next Generation 911 which will open the doors to greater call routing, location services and capabilities to send images/videos as part of the information we receive from the citizens of Toronto.

Finally, I see a need for greater interoperability, and this becoming a key focus for Police, Fire and Paramedics. I witnessed the London Fire Brigade (LFB) change in the way it responded to terror incidents over the past two decades. From the learning identified in the London Bombings in 2005 to the way in which we responded to the series of Terror attacks in 2017/18, and finally, national strategies for multi-agency support for any ‘known’ firearms attacks/active shooter events.

I expect Metropolitan Fire Services to learn from such events and through a culture of collaboration, create training and on-arrival tactics that support cross-agency operations. I served in the LFB during what was an incredibly challenging time from both an organizational and operational perspective. I gained exposure as a firefighter, USAR advisor and Incident Commander at some of London’s most high-profile incidents. Notable for me, are the London Riots, the Vauxhall Helicopter Crash, the Bow Crane Collapse and of course, the Grenfell Tower Fire. All of which resulted in increased accountability and change in practice. Incidents like these have led the Fire Sector to improve the way in which we evaluate and share learning, but so much more can be achieved. With this increased accountability and information sharing, strategic leaders will be required to align their service, with a pace of change that is set globally.

Can you share a story to cap off the article?

If you ask London Firefighters that served in 2017 a question around ‘the one thing that comes to mind’ about their service, I think the Grenfell Tower Fire will be in most of their responses. This was a high-rise fire in a 24-story block of flats that burned for 60 hours. 72 people died, two later in hospital, with more than 70 injured and 223 escaping. I attended the Fire around 14 hours after the first call, I feel it’s important to include that timeline, as there are colleagues, both firefighters and officers, that would have been exposed to entirely different challenges and trauma in the early stages of the response and therefore must be considered. During the Recovery phase, I attended as part of Urban Search and Rescue teams for the three weeks following the Fire. I raise this not to talk about the tragedy or the role USAR played, but for something else I witnessed in that time.

First, I just want to give some context, I was born two miles from the tower and lived in West London for 40 years. I have friends in Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill, my partner's immediate family still live there. The response to the fire itself is not my story to tell, but what I do want to shine a light on, is the response from the community.

The pouring out of love and support, when bereaved families and survivors had lost everything, was an incredible show of human kindness and compassion. There is no question there is something special about that part of London. The local residents showed up, and continue to show up, to offer support and remember those that lost their lives. Six years on and those networks are still there, from local community groups to political activists fighting for justice.

My final role in London was as the Commander (Deputy Assistant Commissioner) for South West London, which included the communities in and around Grenfell Tower. In that role I continued to meet amazing people; those that lost family and friends in the fire and those that survived the fire itself. In that time, I witnessed firefighters and the local Fire Station continue to do all they can for their local community. It is that human response, that courage and that compassion, that has stayed with me.