Vaughan appoints new fire chief after departure of former chief to Mississauga

Daryn Rizzi left for Mississauga, taking with her former Richmond Hill chief Steve Kraft

Yorkregion.com
July 5, 2021
Jeremy Grimaldi

Months after Vaughan fire chief Deryn Rizzi left the city for pastures new in Mississauga, 'the city above Toronto' has appointed a new chief.

After almost 25 years with the service, former deputy fire chief Andrew Zvanitajs has been promoted to the role of chief, relieving acting chief Mike Doyle. Doyle will now return to his former role as deputy chief.

Zvanitajs will be taking over a department in flux following Rizzi's departure. The busy organization responded to more than 10,000 incidents in 2020 and had 346 members on staff.

"I look forward to helping the VFRS move out of the pandemic framework and transition back into our ‘new normal’ routine," Zvanitajs wrote in a City of Vaughan press release.

Rizzi, the first ever female to hold the post, announced she was leaving at the beginning of 2021.

Richmond Hill's former chief Steve Kraft then left to be her deputy.

Zvanitajs was named as a deputy in Vaughan in 2015.