Kevin White is Barrie’s new fire chief.
City council approved his appointment Wednesday night following a four-month recruitment process.
In a city news release, White said he was honoured to be selected as Barrie's next fire chief.
“I am dedicated to providing outstanding customer service while protecting our community,” he said. “I am proud to lead the men and women of our service with integrity while protecting our citizens and their property."
White began his firefighting career in Barrie in 1998, advancing to captain in 2009 and then to platoon chief in 2020.
He is currently pursuing a degree in justice and public safety at the University of Guelph. White has earned the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award for his advocacy on behalf of firefighters across Canada. A father of three daughters, White has raised his family in Barrie.
Mayor Alex Nuttall welcomed White to his new role.
“With a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to public safety, I am confident that our fire services are in excellent hands as we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our community,” Nuttall said in the city release. “We look forward to Chief White’s leadership and the positive impact he will bring to our city in his new role."
White succeeds Cory Mainprize, who announced in early May he was leaving Barrie Fire and Emergency Service to become East Gwillimbury’s fire chief, effective June 3.
Asked at the time why he was leaving Barrie Fire, Mainprize declined comment.
A Springwater Township resident, Mainprize had been with the Barrie fire department for 24 years, the last six-and-a-half years as chief.
There were recent signs Barrie was about to announce a new fire chief. The city’s fire chief recruitment committee met behind closed doors on Sept. 13 and Sept. 19. Also on Sept. 13, the reply to a BarrieToday email — from Acting Fire Chief Derek Wilson — said he had “accepted a position with another organization.”
Wilson had been deputy chief with Barrie Fire, along with Deputy Fire Chief Carrie Clark.
City council’s Sept. 25 agenda referred to a general committee report, also dated Sept. 25, 2024, about fire chief recruitment.
