Long Beach : Fire Dept. Chief Named
A 22-year veteran of the Long Beach Fire Department has been named as its new chief.
Deputy Fire Chief Chris A. Hunter will take the $80,000-a-year post starting Friday .
Hunter, 48, said he will “keep the programs going” and work to further improve the department. A board member of the Los Angeles County chapter of the State Fire Chiefs’ Assn., Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands and also attended Long Beach City College. He had served as a firefighter for three years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before joining the Long Beach department in 1966.
As chief, he will supervise a department authorized for 502 positions, of which about 450 are uniformed firefighters. He will also oversee the annual budget of $41.7 million.
Of the nine members of the department ranked battalion chief or higher who applied for the top job, the field was narrowed to three deputy chiefs--Hunter, Oystein F. (Sam) Husoe and Arthur M. Santavicca.
Hunter will replace retiring Chief James (Ben) Souders.
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