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City of Santa Barbara appoints new fire chief

Posted at 1:46 PM, Nov 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-20 16:46:02-05

The City of Santa Barbara has appointed its new fire chief as Eric Nickel following an extensive recruitment period.

Chief Nickel was selected from a pool of 36 applicants.

He will oversee the Santa Barbara Fire Department’s $28 million budget as well as manage 106 employees in eight stations.

“I am honored to be selected as the City of Santa Barbara’s next Fire Chief. I am eager to get started after the holidays. I look forward to leading the men and women of this great department as we meet the daily needs of our citizens and strategically plan for the uncertainties of the future. I am excited with the opportunities to learn from, engage and collaborate with this vibrant and diverse community,” Chief Nickel said.

Chief Nickel brings 31 years of professional firefighting to the position. His most recent role was serving as the Fire Chief in the City of Palo Alto since 2012. He is one out of 39 fire chiefs in California Fire Service history to be designated as a Certified Fire Chief through the State of California Board of Fire Services.

He will start his new position on January 14, 2019.