Fire Chief

whalen

John Whalen currently serves as the Fire Chief for the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department where he is responsible for overseeing the life and safety of Coral Springs and Parkland residents and visitors, plus the more than 200 sworn personnel and administrative staff within the department.

Serving 28 years with the department, Whalen has held nearly every position in the fire service industry. Whalen served as Deputy Fire Chief from February 2020 to June 2024. While serving as Assistant Chief for Bravo Shift in 2019, Whalen was selected by former Fire Chief Frank Babinec to serve as Interim Fire Chief when Babinec began his role as Coral Springs City Manager. It was after demonstrating outstanding service during this planned temporary position that Whalen was promoted to Deputy Chief. As the Deputy Chief of Operations, Whalen oversaw in-service training, EMS, and Special Operations in addition to all emergency responders in the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland.

Whalen served as lead instructor at the Coral Springs Fire Academy beginning in 2000 and helped develop the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program for the Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety. He served as the team leader for multiple competitive Advanced Life Support Competition teams and has garnered several national awards.

With a passion for the safety and wellbeing of first responders, Whalen also served as the Health and Safety Officer for the department from 2015 through 2019 and worked on several projects related to Safety, Health and Wellness including Clean Cab Design, Exposure Reduction, and Peer/Mental Health Support.

He holds certifications in multiple disciplines including Hazardous Materials Technician, Dive Rescue Specialist and was formerly assigned as a SWAT Medic for the Coral Springs Police Department. Chief Whalen has also served as the co-chair of the sub-committee for Safety and Health for the Fire Chiefs Association of Broward County, as well as the Interim Chair of the State Section on Safety and Health following Babinec’s departure from that role. He also holds the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and Fire Officer IV, and Fire Instructor III from the State of Florida, Bureau of Fire Standards and Training.

Whalen has also received numerous awards on the local, state, and national levels. He was named Chief Officer of the Year by the Fire Chief’s Association of Broward County, Safety Officer of the Year by the International Association of Fire Fighters in 2019, Broward Health Care District Paramedic of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2007 and CSPFD Medal of Valor recipient in 2014.

Whalen holds multiple degrees related to fire service. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Fire Executive Leadership at Columbia Southern University.

Whalen is married with three children and one grandchild.

Contact

E-mail

csfd@coralsprings.gov

Phone

954-344-5934

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