Silvio Lanzas appointed as new chief of the Glendale Fire Department
City officials have chosen Silvio Lanzas to head the Glendale Fire Department as its 11th fire chief.
His appointment was made official on Tuesday during a Glendale City Council meeting. Lanzas joined the department in December 2017 as a deputy and succeeds Greg Fish, who retired from the agency in September and became chief of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Department.
Glendale City Manager Yasmin Beers praised Lanzas on Tuesday, saying the new chief has excelled during his time with the department and that he places a priority on building strong relationships within the fire department and the community.
Lanzas said he was “humbled and honored” by the appointment and took time during the meeting to thank city officials, his family and members of the fire department for their support. Lanzas singled out his appreciation for Deputy Chief Bill Lynch, referring to him as a “great partner.”
“Without him, his humility, his desire for what’s best for the organization, his ability to show me every secret, every nook and cranny of our organization … today, would not be possible,” Lanzas said.
Lynch served as the interim fire chief during the two months following Fish’s departure before switching with Lanzas, who acted in that role from December to January. Both were under consideration for the chief’s position.
Mayor Zareh Sinanyan congratulated Lanzas during the meeting, saying he looks forward to working with him in the years to come while also mentioning the council was “unfortunate in this selection process in that we had great candidates, two very good candidates.”
Prior to joining the department, Lanzas spent the majority of his professional career with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, where he was a division chief. Referring to the past year he has been in Glendale, the new chief said he and the rest of the city’s employees have been fortunate to work for the city and referenced Glendale’s nickname.
“We are the Jewel City because of the over 1,500 gems who work here,” Lanzas said. “And I am humbled to lead 271 of them in the Glendale Fire Department.”
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
