Recruiting San Diego's Next Fire‑Rescue Chief

Recruiting San Diego's Next Fire‑Rescue Chief

The City of San Diego seeks an outstanding and forward-looking leader to step into the role of Fire-Rescue Chief. We are in search of a dynamic, collaborative, and seasoned individual capable of engaging with our diverse community. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in resource management and implementing innovative business solutions.

Community Meetings

The Mayor's Office held two community meetings in April 2024 to gather San Diegan’s opinions on the next Chief of Fire-Rescue. An online survey was available for residents who didn’t have the chance to participate in person. Here are the results of the online survey as well as the results of the Community Forums:

Thank you to all the community members who participated in the community meetings and survey! Your voice and contributions were crucial in the search for our next Fire-Rescue leader.

Recruiting Process

Recruiting Process

Mayor Gloria is committed to a transparent and inclusive recruitment process. Following the community meetings, a stakeholder interview panel will be comprised of nominees from each City Council Office, and the Mayor will select nominees for an executive panel to include executive-level public safety enforcement officials and other regional leaders.

The process to hire a new Chief of Fire-Rescue, outlined in Article V of the City Charter, calls for the Mayor to appoint a candidate to be confirmed by the City Council.

Timeline of Significant Steps in the Recruitment Process

NOTE: This timeline is subject to change.

March 2024

Recruitment period opened in March and closed on the application deadline, April 22, 2024

April 2024

Two community meetings were held in person and the online survey was available for all San Diegans to provide input.

May 2024

Interviews

June 2024

Candidate selection

July 2024

City Council confirmation and appointment

August 2024

Chief Stowell retirement