Coral Springs appoints new Fire Department chief

Coral Springs, Florida – At the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department, a new chief will shortly assume leadership.

Instead of incumbent Fire Chief Michael McNally, who had previously declared his intention to retire, will be Deputy Chief John Whalen. On Friday, June 28, at a Transfer of Command Ceremony, Whalen will be formally sworn in, according to Coral Springs city authorities.

According to his department profile, Whalen has been with the fire department since 1993 and has held almost every post, including Head of the Special Operations Division and EMS Director.

Whalen has been an instructor at the Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety since 2000. She has various degrees in emergency medical services and fire service.

When Frank Babinec started serving as city manager in December 2019, he was chosen by Babinec, the former fire chief, to serve as the interim fire chief. In February 2020, he received a promotion to deputy chief of fire.

Whalen serves as the temporary chair of the State Section on Safety and Health in addition to co-chairing the Fire Chiefs Association of Broward County’s subcommittee on safety and health.

Among the many honors he has received are the Sandy Davis Safety Officer of the Year award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Paramedic of the Year award from the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. Additionally, he is the only recipient of the CSPFD Medal of Valor.

In February 2020, McNally took the oath of office as the fire department’s head. After joining the department in 1989 as a Fire Explorer and becoming a volunteer fireman in 1993, he went on to work for the department in a variety of public safety capacities in Coral Springs and the neighboring areas.