The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted in closed session Tuesday to appoint San Bernardino County Fire District Chief Mark Hartwig as the county’s new fire chief.
The decision comes after a months-long competitive selection process and several rounds of interviews, county officials said.
Hartwig starts the job Feb. 18, and will oversee the department of 16 fire stations, two battalions, three divisions and about 245 full-time employees.
“I am excited to join the Santa Barbara County team and the well-respected county fire department, and look forward to further engaging our communities and our partners in the ongoing review and development of disaster readiness and response,” Hartwig said in a statement. “Engagement and partnerships are the keys to success.”
Former county chief Michael Dyer has been interim fire chief since Chief Eric Peterson retired in October.
Hartwig has been fire chief of the San Bernardino County Fire District since 2011, and runs a department of 1,065 employees, 70 fire stations and an agency that covers 10 incorporated cities and 60 unincorporated communities.
“Santa Barbara County has a long history of catastrophic fires, but an equally long history of outstanding fire chiefs who have guided our department and county through these tough times,” Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said in a statement. “Our board is confident that Chief Hartwig brings with him the experience, expertise and drive to take on this challenge. We are committed to provide him with the tools that he needs to do his job effectively.”
Hartwig served six years with the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District, where he was promoted to the rank of deputy chief, before being named San Bernardino County fire chief.
Prior to that, he served with San Bernardino County Fire, starting as an extra-help firefighter in 1992 and working his way to the rank of captain, serving as the department’s emergency medical services supervisor and training officer.
Hartwig has developed an expertise in emergency medical services and has been working with the California Fire Chiefs Association to help solidify county and local government’s role in the delivery of emergency medical services, county officials said.
County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato said in a statement that Hartwig “stood out given his experience, statewide leadership, expertise in emergency medical services, and understanding of disaster readiness.
“We were fortunate to be presented with several highly qualified and exemplary candidates for this critical position,” she continued. “I have every confidence that he will bring strong, steady leadership and a continued commitment to our fire department’s time-honored tradition of excellence, professionalism and preparedness.”
Hartwig was recognized as the 2017 California Fire Chief of the Year by the California State Fire Chiefs’ Association, and was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Commission on Emergency Medical Services in 2012, according to the county.
He also is an advisory board member for the Loma Linda University Emergency Medical Care Program and the Victor Valley Community College paramedic academy.
He holds a master’s degree in emergency services administration, bachelor’s degrees in zoology and emergency medical care, and associate degrees in paramedic studies and fire administration, along with numerous certifications in fire studies.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
