Santa Barbara County Firefighters Celebrate Retirement of Captain Michael Riach and 35 Years of Service

Please join us in congratulating Captain Michael Riach on his retirement from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department on October 20, 2025, after 35 years of dedicated service.

Captain Riach started in 1988 with the U.S. Forest Service, followed by Alhambra Fire Department from 1989 to 2001. During this time, he took a 24-month hiatus for a Christian mission in Alberta, Canada.

In 2001, Captain Riach joined the Santa Barbara County Fire Department as a Firefighter. He was promoted to Engineer in 2003 and Fire Captain in 2007. In addition to these roles, Captain Riach served as a Paramedic and earned a Registered Nursing Degree in 2007.

“Throughout my career, I’ve had many notable experiences. I had the humbling experience of delivering two babies and was part of the USAR team that responded to the devastating Montecito Mudslides. I also served during the Rodney King Riots and the UCSB Active Shooter Incident,” stated Captain Riach. “Some of the most deeply rewarding experiences came from working alongside my brothers and sisters on numerous wildland strike teams and emergency deployments.”

Captain Riach also contributed to the growth and evolution of specialized teams, proudly serving on both the Water Rescue and the USAR teams. At Station 17, he had the privilege of mentoring and engaging with the student community through the CERT program, Fire Explorers, and the UCSB Student EMT program.

Captain Riach launched our department’s Car Seat Safety Program in 2006 and helped establish an inter-agency committee to ensure every child born in the county is fitted with a car seat by a certified technician. Furthermore, as a founding committee member of the RAP (Regional Action Plan), he helped address homelessness and increase firefighter safety on medical and transient-related calls along the Highway 101 corridor.

We wish Captain Riach all the best in retirement.