Anonymous
Source: Montecito Fire Department
Montecito Fire Department welcomes new Battalion Chief, David Neels. David began his career in 1998 with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department as a Firefighter Paramedic. In November of 2015, he promoted to Battalion Chief and as of today David joins the Chief Officer ranks of the Montecito Fire Department.
“We are very excited to transition David Neels into our already excellent management team and look forward to drawing from his depth of knowledge as an emergency response professional,” said Chief Kevin Taylor
David has earned an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering Technology, a Masters of Public Administration, and has filled the position of Division Supervisor on a California State Type I Incident Management Team for several years.
David lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and three children.
About what’s the salary difference between the City & Montecito FD for a Batallion Chief with Neel’s experience? Cito has to be more, I’d think.
Transparent California shows in 2017 Montecito made about 60k base salary
“Transparent California” is just one of the many names used by the tax-exempt “free-market think tank” Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI). NPRI refuses to divulge its own funding sources, stating, “NPRI respects the privacy of our donors, which includes the amount of a donor’s gift”.
NPRI’s primary funding source, as determined by The Conservative Transparency Project, is Donors Capital Fund, a dark-money source of funding for conservative groups. Its donors also include The Cato Institute, co-founded by the Koch brothers, and organizations affiliated with the climate change denial movement.
NPRI spends 75% of its revenue on six-figure salaries and benefits. Its goal is to undermine support for employee unions nationwide, thereby decreasing salaries and increasing corporate profits.
Transparency of public salaries is WAY more important than the ethics of the company behind releasing them.
Dear critics: What is your point? Please make a clear argument. Are you saying he shouldn’t change jobs or be promoted? State your position, please.
I mean 60k more than SB County as a Battalion Chief
I do NOT agree with calling every first responder a hero, even though I support them. I do support the truly faceless workers behind the first responders. But first responders do carry a very heavy burden! And I’m glad I could leave county work that included 12 hour shifts in the emergency response office. ================================================================================ https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/first-responders-struggle-with-ptsd-caused-by-the-emergencies-deaths-tragedies-they-face-every-day/2019/10/25/9c4c9a0e-d4b8-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html
5:53 PM … You wouldn’t say that if you really knew what the Koch brothers (David died recently) have been up to. Doing anything they can to make Americans hate government is an underpinning of their strategy to push their Libertarian-based ideology and profits for their fossil fuel businesses. Unfortunately, they’re wealthy, stealthy, smart, organized, and patient in achieving their goals. Case in point ….. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/climate/koch-brothers-public-transit.html.
How very odd that this promotion announcement comes with a photo of a truck instead of the man.
MACPUZL – You don’t believe taxpayers have the right to know the salaries of public employees? You don’t think unions have dark money backers who help fund millions of dollars in lobbyists and politicians to further their agenda? Everyone has an agenda and public employee unions screw their members all the time. What has the teachers union done for teachers except protect the bad ones? Teachers deserve so much more. Firefighters and LEO deserve the salaries they receive. David Neels has an incredible resume and years of experience. Any fire department would be lucky to have him. This is money well spent.
Police officers and firefighters, with a few exceptions of “milking the system”, deserve what they are paid. Some office workers who’ve only been with the county five years on the other hand, don’t necessarily deserve the retirement they will get…..for life…..
Total pay and benefits in SB was about $340K, so with a pay increase in Montecito, figure $400K? Unless he stops working overtime, which was about 50% of his base pay. Pretty lucrative public service position. Why doesn’t the free market apply to public fire companies?
Oh my, what a shame paying enough to actually live in Santa Barbara. Years ago firefighters were required to live in their districts, to be available on short notice in emergencies. Now most have to live in Ventura, Lompoc, or Santa Maria. Pay might seem over the top but after taxes, and with the high cost of living, renting or owning, in SB it still often isn’t enough.
Flicka, our local FF are among the highest paid in the world. They are given the best training, the best benefits the best retirement packages of anywhere in the country. Ironically, the local EMTs and ambulance drivers as well as State and County FF’s, are paid a fraction of what we pay our local city departments. Same jobs, same skills and training but grossly different pay. Those who can land these jobs are set for life. I think I mirror most when I say that I sure wish I could have retired at 50-55 with the equivalency of $4million in the bank, guaranteed against loss, for the rest of my life. There is simply no comparable retirement package anywhere, in practically any profession that compares to that we give to our local fire fighters. And by the way, they all know they scored the best fire gig in the country, if not the world. They know they make 10x what their companions on the fire lines makes… Its a tough job but so are many others in our society. Things are not equal and that’s the problem.
The Montecito firefighter on my block, not a high level guy, is the only one whose wife doesn’t have to work because his income is enough to pay the bills and mortgage. It would be nice if all of the families in our town had that option, not just the lucky public safety union people.
I don’t see Macpuzl asserting that at all. I see him simply sharing information, with NO emotion, about who funds Transparent CA. You can find similar salary info by going to our county’s website! Salary ranges for all positions are on the employment portion of the website. Open positions: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty?page=1 —————————————————– Click on the job title to go to description that shows pay range.