Santa Ana : 22-Year Veteran Chosen Fire Department Chief
Gary Schmitz, chief of the South County Fire Protection Authority in San Diego for seven years, has been chosen to become chief of the city’s 280-member Fire Department and will take over from acting Fire Chief Ernest Hoeft on Feb. 2, city spokeswoman Maureen Thomas said Friday.
The position has been vacant since January, when then-City Manager Robert C. Bobb placed Fire Chief William J. Reimer on administrative leave. Reimer, who could not be reached for comment Friday, later was offered a position as an assistant to the city manager but turned it down, City Manager David Ream said.
The selection of Schmitz, 44, marks the end of a long search for a new chief for the second largest fire department in the county.
Ray Comeau, a spokesman for the Firemen’s Benevolent Assn., said he is “optimistic” about Schmitz’s selection.
“It’s best that he comes from the outside after all the turmoil that the association and management have gone through,” Comeau said. “I believe he will bring a fresh outlook and be able to look at things objectively.”
“We’re extremely pleased with the selection,” Ream said.
Schmitz will be paid $73,000 a year.
A native of Nebraska, Schmitz has 22 years of experience as a firefighter and administrator in San Diego and Oceanside, where he served more than 12 years, including a stint as a fire marshal.
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