KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes has announced a new Deputy Fire Chief.
Deputy Chief Mike Matthews will oversee Volunteer Firefighter Operations and Support Services according to the City. Matthews was with the Whitby Fire Department for almost 31 years, 3 as Deputy Chief. He was also a volunteer firefighter with the Scugog Fire Department.
Former Deputy Chief Cameron Smith quietly left the fire department in September. He joined the fire service in September 2019 as a Training Officer and was appointed Deputy Chief in June 2020. Before that he spent 21 years with the Town Of Ajax Fire Service. It’s unclear why he left.
The change comes as the City is dealing with a severe shortage of volunteer firefighters and unacceptable response times according to an independent review. Read more here:https://www.kawartha411.ca/2022/09/30/deadly-delays-an-investigative-report-in-collaboration-with-ctv-w5-on-fatal-fires-in-kawartha-lakes/