Darryl Jones is retiring from his role as Pittsburgh’s fire chief following an internal review of his management of the city’s Bureau of Fire.
Jones was placed on paid leave at the beginning of June while the city conducted its review. According to an announcement from Mayor Corey O’Connor’s office Wednesday afternoon, the mayor believed after the review was complete that it was “in the best interest of the city to move forward under new leadership.”
“I’d like to thank Darryl Jones for his service and commitment to our country and the City of Pittsburgh throughout his career,” O’Connor said in a statement. “He is a good man that has done important work for our fire department and the safety of our communities.”
“After reviewing the department, the mayor did make the decision that it was time for new leadership. With that, Chief Jones decided to retire,” said Molly Onufer, spokesperson for O’Connor’s office. “The administration discovered that the way operations were being managed over the last few years were inconsistent with the Mayor’s vision and his promise to Pittsburgh.”
Onufer said the internal review was not an investigation and did not find any criminal matters. Rather than focusing on any specific incident, the review was more of a “comprehensive look” at the administrative and financial management of the fire bureau, she said.
Assistant Chief Mat Davis has led the bureau as the city’s acting chief since Jones went on leave. Davis will remain in that role until a permanent new chief is selected.
According to Onufer, Jones will remain on leave while he uses up his time off. His retirement will be effective Sept. 16.
Onufer said it is too early to say how a new chief will be chosen — whether the city will undergo a larger national search or name someone from within the fire bureau to the position. She said the administration hopes to find a chief that will bring “financial controls, accountability, and leadership” to the bureau.
Jones previously served as fire chief in Aliquippa, Beaver County, before joining the city bureau in 2007.
City Councilor Anthony Coghill, who leads council’s public safety committee, said he hopes the city chooses a leader from within the bureau.
“Nobody knows our department and our needs and our wants more than the people who work inside that department,” he said. “We have so much good leadership in our fire department, there’s a number of people who could probably fill his position.”
Coghill was complimentary of Jones’s time leading the bureau, and he said he believes the city would be in “good hands” with Davis as acting chief.
“Chief Jones was always a good leader, I felt, for the department, well-respected even outside of Pittsburgh,” he said. “He was an expert in his field, and I’m grateful for his service.”