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Sierra Madre creates deputy fire chief post to lead community risk reduction
Summary
Council approved creating a sworn deputy chief (community risk reduction officer) position to add second-in-command capacity, lead prevention and public information, and improve wildfire readiness; the position is authorized but not yet funded.
Sierra Madre City Council on April 22 voted unanimously to add a sworn, confidential deputy chief position that will combine second-in-command duties with community risk reduction and fire-prevention leadership.
Assistant City Manager Alex Hernandez presented a staff proposal authorizing the new classification and salary slot but told council the vote only creates the position; funding to recruit and fill the role requires a separate decision. Fire Chief Bartlett told council the hybrid role responds to gaps revealed by recent disasters — notably the Eaton Fire — where continuous incident leadership, expanded inspections and plan-review capacity, vegetation management, and a dedicated public information officer were stretched thin.
Chief Bartlett described the job as a senior sworn officer who would supervise fire inspections, plan review and code enforcement for defensible space; lead public education and emergency communications; act as incident second-in-command when the chief is unavailable; and coordinate volunteer programs such as CERT and Fire Safe activities. Bartlett said the position aligns with the city's strategic priorities including public safety and organizational sustainability and was recommended by the department master plan as a way to strengthen leadership redundancy and prevention-focused work.
Council members emphasized the distinction between creating a classification and actually filling a position. Assistant City Manager Hernandez said the city must identify a funding source before any hiring can occur; council directed staff to add funding options to future budget discussions. The motion to adopt Resolution 25-25, establishing the deputy chief (Community Risk Reduction Officer) classification and adjusting the classification plan and salary matrix, passed 5-0.
Ending: Chief Bartlett said the position would improve the department's ability to shift from reactive response to data-driven prevention, boost community outreach and help manage wildfire-threat programs such as defensible-space enforcement and home-hardening education once funding is secured.
