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Ventura names longtime firefighter Chris McDonald as new fire chief, cites staffing, wellness and Station 7 as top priorities
Summary
Fire Chief Chris McDonald, a Ventura firefighter since 2002, told a City of Ventura podcast he will focus on staffing and wellness, finish a new Station 7 to improve harbor-area response and pursue prevention efforts to help reduce insurance costs.
Fire Chief Chris McDonald, a Ventura firefighter since 2002, said he will prioritize staffing, firefighter wellness and station capacity as he begins leading the Ventura City Fire Department.
McDonald, introduced on the Ventura Voices podcast by City Manager Bill Aub, described a career that began as a volunteer in 1995 and included service as a paramedic, fire engineer, captain and battalion chief before becoming assistant fire chief and now fire chief. "I'm the only department in the county that is all paramedic," he said, explaining the department hires only paramedics rather than EMTs.
That all-paramedic model, McDonald said, shapes recruitment and workload: the department runs roughly 18,500 calls a year, and about 80% of its incidents are medical or rescue calls. He credited recently introduced paramedic squads — two-person units on light chassis — with handling about 25% of calls and providing "a pressure relief valve" for busier stations and crews.
McDonald told Aub that recruitment and retention remain difficult because the all-paramedic requirement narrows the candidate pool and neighboring agencies sometimes recruit Ventura personnel. To ease staffing pressures, Ventura relaxed its residency requirement to within 150 miles and uses the 48.96 shift schedule to help make local careers more tenable.
"Those squads have really had a huge impact on the workforce and helping relieve that," McDonald said.
Beyond staffing, McDonald listed firefighter health and safety measures already in place, including an internal peer-support program and more comprehensive annual physicals and advanced cancer screening. He raised concern about PFAS (so-called forever chemicals) in turnout gear and said the department is working to cycle in gear with lower contaminant risk, acknowledging higher cost and limited availability for PFAS-free options.
On infrastructure, McDonald said the department expects Fire Station 7 — sited near the 101 and Seaward — to open in about a year. "Station 7 is going to give us a leg up on our service to the harbor area," he said, calling it the city's only station south of the 101 and a step toward meeting response-time goals.
McDonald also said the department's five-year strategic plan is due for renewal and that his internal promotion will trigger additional leadership selections, with a battalion chief appointment planned next week.
On prevention and insurance, McDonald noted that the City Council adopted state fire hazard severity zone maps last year and that the department enforces a Fire Hazard Reduction Program that requires vegetation clearance in high-risk zones by June 1 each year. He said the department is working on a Community Wildfire Protection Plan with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council, which can open grant opportunities and support efforts to lower insurance costs. McDonald added that the city's ISO rating was downgraded to a level three in 2023, a metric that affects insurance assessments.
Aub and McDonald closed the interview with lighter questions about favorite local spots and final comments. McDonald said he is "excited for the future" and looks forward to leading the department while advancing staffing, wellness and service improvements.
Next steps McDonald identified include renewing the department's strategic plan, continuing use of paramedic squads, selecting a battalion chief next week and preparing for Fire Station 7's opening in approximately one year.
