Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg announces retirement

Fire Chief Matthew Pegg is calling it a career after 32 years with Toronto Fire Services.

Pegg announced his retirement on social media on Friday morning, confirming that his last day on the job will be Oct. 4.

“I am deeply appreciative to be able to retire healthy, after more than 32 years of active service,” he said in a statement.

“There has not been a single day when I have not been immensely proud to wear the Toronto Fire Services uniform, and to serve alongside this incredible team of 3,265 professionals.”

Pegg has served as Toronto’s fire chief for the past eight years and during the pandemic, he led the city's COVID-19 strategic response team for two years as Toronto's COVID-19 incident commander.

“When I became Fire Chief in 2016, we embarked on a journey of transformation together. Today, the City of Toronto is the largest city in North America with an internationally accredited fire service under the Commission on Fire Accreditation International,” his statement read.

“Together, we build a data-informed, people focused team of professionals who are committed to protecting and improving public safety in Canada’s largest and most complex city; we have worked together to create an increasingly inclusive, welcoming and supportive workplace that better reflects the communities that we serve.”