Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones is on paid administrative leave, a public safety spokeswoman said Monday.
The administrative leave is “pending the outcome of an internal review,” public safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said in a written statement.
“Beyond that, we cannot comment on personnel matters,” she said.
Jones hung up when contacted by a TribLive reporter Monday afternoon.
Ralph Sicuro, president of the city’s firefighters union, said he did not know why Jones was placed on leave.
Assistant Chief Matt Davis is serving as acting chief, Sicuro said.
The leave went into effect Monday morning, Bourne said.
Molly Onufer, a spokeswoman for Mayor Corey O’Connor, declined to comment on a personnel matter. She also declined to confirm what city entity was leading the investigation into Jones.
Jones has served as Pittsburgh’s fire chief since July 2007. He previously spent two decades with the Aliquippa Fire Department.
Jones, who also serves as Pittsburgh’s emergency management coordinator, faced criticism last year when he violated city protocol by failing to notify city leaders that he would be out of town when massive storms struck the area.
He was attending a conference of fire chiefs in Myrtle Beach when an April storm downed trees, tore roofs from buildings, left thousands without power and led to the fatal electrocution of a city resident.
Jones acknowledged he did not inform city leaders of his absence or who would fill in for him.
Jones is budgeted to make just over $159,000 this year, according to the city’s 2026 budget.
