Pittsburgh Swears In Mat Davis as Fire Chief

Former Dormont fire chief Mat Davis takes over the city fire bureau after Darryl Jones's retirement.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in People

Photograph of a red fire engine parked in an empty fire station bay, with brick walls and a rowhouse hillside visible through the open doorway. — Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor swore in Mat Davis as city fire chief on Tuesday, succeeding Darryl Jones, who retired Sept. 16 after administrative leave in July. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor swore in Mat Davis as fire chief at a ceremony in City Council chambers. Davis succeeds Darryl Jones, who formally retired Sept. 16 after being placed on administrative leave in July.

Why it matters

The change in leadership comes after a comprehensive city review of the oversight of finances and operations of the fire bureau, which employs nearly 700 firefighters. Davis has led the bureau since July, and his appointment shapes how the department is run going forward.

Davis's base salary as assistant chief this year is $148,532, compared with $159,140 for Jones's base salary as chief this year. The fire bureau has nearly 700 firefighters, and the specific salary outcome under Davis's new role has not been detailed.

The players

Mat Davis

Mat Davis is the newly sworn-in Pittsburgh fire chief, a former Dormont fire chief with 23 years of firefighting experience who joined the Pittsburgh fire bureau three years ago.

Corey O'Connor

Corey O'Connor is the mayor of Pittsburgh, who swore in Davis and cited a comprehensive review of the fire bureau's finances and operations as the basis for placing Jones on leave.

Darryl Jones

Darryl Jones is the former Pittsburgh fire chief who served nearly 19 years in the role before being placed on administrative leave and formally retiring Sept. 16.

Barb Warwick

Barb Warwick is a Pittsburgh city councilwoman who plans to update the city's fire code with the new chief.

The details

Mayor Corey O'Connor swore in Mat Davis at a ceremony in City Council chambers. The city placed Darryl Jones on administrative leave in July with little explanation, and the mayor said the decision followed a comprehensive review of the bureau's finances and operations.

Sept. 24, 2007: Darryl Jones first took over as Pittsburgh fire chief.
2006: Mat Davis joined the Dormont fire department.
2017 to 2023: Davis led the Dormont fire department as chief.
July: Jones was placed on administrative leave and Davis began leading the bureau.
Sept. 16: Jones formally retired.

Leadership Transition

Jones's appointment as Pittsburgh fire chief on Sept. 24, 2007 set a tenure of nearly 19 years that ends with Davis taking the post. The transition marks a departure from that long run, with Davis bringing prior chief experience from Dormont and years of service across several area departments.

Residents served by the Pittsburgh fire bureau will see the department under new leadership, with Davis overseeing nearly 700 firefighters. Councilwoman Barb Warwick's planned update to the city's fire code may affect how the bureau operates.

The takeaway

Leadership changes at major city departments often follow internal reviews of finances and operations, and the new chief's early decisions will show how that oversight is applied. Residents can track how the updated fire code takes shape through council action.