Fire Chief Retires
updated: Sep 11, 2012, 5:11 PM

Source: City of Santa Barbara

After 38 years of public service, City Fire Chief Andrew DiMizio announced that he will retire from his position on December 14.

As Fire Chief, DiMizio oversees a $21 million budget and 109 employees in the areas of fire suppression, prevention, inspection, and emergency services. After serving the City Fire Department in numerous positions, including Interim Fire Chief for several months, he was officially appointed to lead the Fire Department in 2009.

"Andy has done an outstanding job managing the Fire Department, from helping the community prepare for a natural disaster to fighting major fires like the Jesusita Fire that threatened the community a few days after he was appointed," said City Administrator Jim Armstrong.

Under DiMizio's leadership, the Fire Station 1 remodel was completed. The project included a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center to coordinate a disaster. Fire Administrative Offices also finished construction earlier this year, allowing department staff to operate in a seismically safe building. He worked closely with homeowners associations and the Firefighters Alliance to carry out many programs and projects over the past four years. More recently, he worked with department staff to prepare a 5-year plan of goals and objectives for fire response, prevention, and emergency preparedness that will help the department continue its work long after his retirement.

After earning his degree from UCSB, DiMizio began his fire career with the U.S. Forest Service. He joined the City of Santa Barbara as a firefighter in 1980 and received promotions to Fire Engineer in 1985 and Fire Captain in 1991. As Fire Captain, he was recognized as Firefighter of the Year in 1991, 1995, and 2000. In 2001, he rose to the position of Fire Battalion Chief where he was responsible for managing daily operations and emergency response for a platoon of 29 firefighters.

"The Santa Barbara City Fire Department is one of the best in the nation because of its long tradition, great staff and the wonderful community that it serves; and I know that it will continue to be so after my departure. After 38 years in the Fire Service, the time has come for me to look towards new personal challenges." said Andrew DiMizio. "I have been blessed to have had such a great staff to work with during my tenure."

DiMizio is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Western Fire Chiefs Association, and Fire Chiefs Association of Santa Barbara County. He is actively involved in his church, neighborhood organizations, and youth and family programs at the YMCA. He lives in the Santa Barbara area with his wife Terry and three children, Marcus, Anthony, and Jessica.

City Administrator Jim Armstrong is currently exploring recruitment options to fill the department head position.

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Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 318794	2012-09-11 06:19 PM
The City has a lot of talented individuals working for us. Thanks for your 30 plus years of serving the people of SB.
COMMENT 318817	2012-09-11 08:00 PM
He's good man - enjoy the years to come. (hard not to considering the pension)
COMMENT 318865	2012-09-12 07:37 AM
The only question I have is how much more of a retirement did he get by transferring to the Santa Barbara Fire Department fo his last two years of public fire service?
COMMENT 318870	2012-09-12 07:49 AM
Please get your FACTS straight before throwing out useless verbage...The Chief has worked up through the ranks @ SBFD for over 30 (thirty) years.
COMMENT 318872	2012-09-12 07:51 AM
Chief DiMizio has worked for the SBFire Dept. for over 28 years. READ THE ARTICLE in its entirety. He is a good man, and deserves to enjoy his retirement. He has earned it.
COMMENT 318879	2012-09-12 08:09 AM
He is awfully handsome. I will miss his fire updates. I'm sure he has earned his pay but the pension...you knew that thread was coming eventually.
COMMENT 318906	2012-09-12 09:04 AM
I lived next door to Andy as a child. All I can remember is that he wanted to be a fireman with a passion. Years later up here in SB he's the Chief. He has spent his entire career doing what he loves and has done it well. Congrats on your retirement!!
COMMENT 318919	2012-09-12 09:34 AM
I had the honor of meeting Fire Chief Andy at the SBYC Charity Regatta. A complete gentleman, knowledgable, personable and quick to recognize the contributions of others instead of telling of his accomplishments. Thank you for your service and enjoy your well earned retirement!
COMMENT 318954	2012-09-12 11:26 AM
Andy is a good friend and someone my family and I admire very deeply as a local hero. We appreciate his years of service to our community and hope he enjoys his very well-deserved retirement!
COMMENT 318974	2012-09-12 12:27 PM
he is retiring at fifty something with retirement pay of $150k indexed for inflation. how many people will lose their jobs to support his retirement:?
COMMENT 318987	2012-09-12 12:55 PM
Enjoy your retirement sir - you have earned it - thank you for your service.
COMMENT 318989	2012-09-12 01:00 PM
974 Jealousy won't get you very far! If you think that's to good maybe you should reassess your life choices. I'm sorry your job and pension sucks!
COMMENT 319013	2012-09-12 01:30 PM
I'm sure he's a nice guy but it just isn't right to keep shutting down county and city services to pay these kinds of benefits, especially to people in their 50's. There is no way these benefits can continue - the money has run out.
COMMENT 319024	2012-09-12 01:59 PM
Firefighters are volunteer in most places on the east coast... here we pay them 200k a year, put them in luxury accommodations, give them the biggest, most generous benefit packages and allow them to have second and sometimes third jobs while they're off duty, and then let them retire at 50 with HUGE pensions... Meanwhile back east the entire crews are volunteers... And we're the smart ones?
COMMENT 319051	2012-09-12 02:55 PM
andy is the third or fourth fireman in a row to spend a few years as chief at the end of his short career to get a giant bump in pension benefits. no doubt another short term chief is waiting in the wings. milking the system...
COMMENT 319118	2012-09-12 05:07 PM
I am sure Andy is a great guy and was a great fire chief. As a fire Chief for 2-3 years I would bet he will retire with over $200/year in retirement. I agree, we can not afford to keep rotating the chief position for every 2-3 years and have them retire based on that salary. We need need pension reform in both our city and county. Brown's initial 12 points would be a start.

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