Dedication, leadership earn Oakville Fire Chief national recognition

Oakville Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault has been honoured with three prestigious national awards in recognition of his commitment to fire safety and emergency services.

Boissonneault, who has been serving Oakville for 25 years, was recently presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal; Career Fire Chief of the Year; and Executive Chief Fire Officer designation awards from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC).

“I am filled with profound gratitude to my team and the leadership at Oakville, the CAFC, my peers and policy partners across Ontario and Canada,” said Boissonneault. “Their continued trust in my abilities and camaraderie propels me to advance the competencies and culture of the fire services sector.

“It is a true honour to work alongside esteemed professionals in this field as we strive to make the fire service a more meaningful, attractive and fulfilling duty to protect our communities.”
Boissonneault received the following awards:

• King Charles III Coronation Medal: On September 21, 2024, at a ceremony in Montreal, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his significant national and provincial contributions to fire and emergency services. The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada and recognizes outstanding achievements and significant contribution to various sectors. The CAFC is one of the key community partners responsible for nominating and presenting the award.
• Career Fire Chief of the Year Award: On September 24, 2024, at a ceremony in Montreal, the CAFC and Fire Underwriters Survey presented him with the award, recognizing his exemplary contributions to ensuring public safety at the local, provincial and national level.
• Executive Chief Fire Officer designation: At the same event, the CAFC presented him with the Executive Chief Fire Officer designation, underlining his professional conduct, training, education, skills and competencies that position him as an important leader in today’s fire service in the country.

Boissonneault joined the Oakville Fire Department in 2016 as Deputy Fire Chief of Operations, before being named Fire Chief in 2020 where he leads a team of 258 fire service professionals.

Instrumental in introducing a new Tiered Response Agreement for Medical Priority Dispatch System implementation in Halton Region and Oakville, he has advocated for Simultaneous Notification for faster and more efficient response, which was included in the Provincial budget 2024.

Boissonneault has focused on building an inclusive work culture at the local fire department along with inspiring the next generation of youth through Blaze Fire Academy.

He’s worked to enhancing the focus on operational readiness, medical training, technical rescue, fire equipment and customer service focus.

“On behalf of Council, I congratulate Fire Chief Boissonneault for receiving three esteemed national honours for his unswerving service to the country,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton.

“Oakville’s strength is its people, and we are proud that our fire and emergency operations are led by a multiple-award winning, high-calibre professional, who is dedicated to deepening community ties, shaping and advancing the role and impact of fire services in the town and across the country.”
Boissonneault, who served as a fire chief for the County of Brant from 2009 to 2016, and fire chief for the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio in Simcoe County from 2004 to 2009, has served on the CAFC Board for 10 years in different leadership and advisory roles.

He currently serves as Secretary, co-chairs the Leadership Development Committee, and Government Relations Committees, while also serving the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs as an elected board member and chair of their Large Urban Committee.

Boissonneault also played an integral role in the CAFC Strategic Plan review, volunteer firefighter income tax credit, and Answer the Call programs.

He was the key spokesperson for the CAFC in critical emergency incident response events, including Lac Mégantic in 2013, Alberta floods in 2013, and Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016.