Toronto fires emergency management director amid COVID-19 crisis

Thestar.com
March 19, 2020
Jennifer Pagliaro and David Rider

A senior City of Toronto official overseeing emergency management is out of his job as of Wednesday amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis.

Charles Jansen, director of the Office of Emergency Management is, effective immediately, “no long with the City of Toronto,” Tracey Cook, a deputy city manager, wrote to a Toronto city council member Wednesday morning in an email obtained by the Star.

“Please treat Charles as a visitor should he attend any City facilities. I wish Charles all the best in his future endeavours.”

City spokesperson Brad Ross said Jansen oversaw the day-to-day function of the Office of Emergency Management, reporting to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, who has overall responsibility and accountability for emergency response at the city.

After Cook’s email, city officials received another from Pegg, who is in charge of the newly activated emergency operations centre co-ordinating the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Further to the staffing announcement provided earlier by (Cook), effective immediately, Tyler Griffin will assume the role of Acting Director – Office of Emergency Management until further notice,” he wrote.

“In order to ensure the ongoing continuity of business operations, Tyler will lead the continuing work that is being conducted by the COVID-19 Task Force. As previously announced, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop will continue to lead the COVID-19 response effort that is being led from the Emergency Operations Centre.

“The work of both these groups is well in hand and will continue without interruption. Thank you for supporting both of these individuals, as we continue to respond to this evolving situation.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Jansen joined the city last October after a career with the military, with his most recent promotion listed as lieutenant-colonel commanding the 4th Canadian Division Headquarters with a background in human resources and strategic operations.

The profile describes him as a “transformational leader with the ability to plan, organize, and direct through a cross-functional senior management team ... with a strong sense of urgency and thrives in a fast-paced setting.”

“The City of Toronto does not discuss personnel matters,” Ross wrote in an email.

“What’s important to know, however, is from the moment COVID-19 began to emerge as a public concern in January, Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, as the head of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, has led the City’s operational response, and continues to do so.

“Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, continues to lead all public health aspects of COVID-19 in Toronto.”