Anonymous
Source: County of Santa Barbara
Former Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Michael W. Dyer will serve as the County’s Interim Fire Chief beginning November 5 upon the retirement of current Chief Eric Peterson who is leaving after 31 years of service to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Dyer, who served as County Fire Chief for almost six years until his retirement in 2015, agreed to serve in the interim role while the County searches for its next chief.
Prior to his retirement, Dyer served more than 37 years in public safety and was previously the Chief Deputy in the Los Angeles County Fire Department before joining the Santa Barbara County Fire Department in 2009. Dyer is presently working for the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management as a Technical Specialist managing the Homeland Security Grant Program and Project Manager for the Hazard Mitigation Program and Valley Peak Communications Tower.
“Chief Dyer will provide stability, knowledge and leadership to an exceptional department over the next few months as we recruit for the next Fire Chief,” said County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato. “Chief Peterson is still here through October, but we wanted to assure our community that the Fire Department continues to be in good hands through this transition.” The recruitment will be a national search expected to conclude in the early part of next year.
Chief Dyer holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. Chief Dyer completed the Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School. In addition to his formal education, Chief Dyer was certified as a Hazardous Materials Specialist, Urban Search and Rescue Technician, Paramedic, and was the 18th Chief Officer in the State of California to achieve the certification of Fire Chief from the California State Fire Marshal.
Chief Dyer has served on several statewide committees including Chair of the FIRESCOPE Board of Directors, Chair of CALFIRE Contract Counties, and member of the California Joint Apprenticeship Management Committee.
For information about the County of Santa Barbara, go to www.countyofsb.org.
Hmmmm… Couldn’t it go to someone who is currently serving on the Dept and not collecting two other retirement checks …? (LA County & SB County).
Seems like these old guys just can’t let go.
The Fire Department circus of corruption/graft/avarice continues. Fire department personnel spend most of their waking hours figuring out angles on how to get more and do less. They seem to think it an absolute right to end with several retirements, rotating from one soft touch to another. This is sick. There are many many others who deserve this pay more than this fat cat.
The old boys network is alive and well. Nice work if you can get it. One of the last jobs with excellent pay and benefits and pension where you can retire at a young age. No wonder so many young men try to get in when they hold the tryouts.
We need the best we can get, given the violent firestorms now part of our lives. He has experience. That counts for something.