BEVERLY HILLS—According to a press release from Therese Kosterman, Public Information Manager for the city of Beverly Hills, Fire Chief Ralph Mundell will be retiring in June. Mundell has been with the city of Beverly Hills since 1984, and has served as the Fire Chief since 2013. Deputy Chief Greg Barton will assume the role as the new Chief.
“Ralph has been a great partner in keeping this City safe over the last four years,” said City Manager Mahdi Aluzri. “We will miss him, but one of his legacies is that he is an outstanding leader with a well-trained and capable staff. He leaves the Fire Department in excellent shape.”
Chief Mundell started as an entry-level firefighter and rose through the ranks to hold various leadership positions over the years including Fire Inspector, Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Fire Marshal, Safety and Training Officer, Shift Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and, ultimately, Fire Chief. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach and is a certified Fire Officer and Chief Officer in the state of California.
He was responsible for the development of an active shooter response plan and established a bicycle emergency medical technician program.
Mundell served as the President of the Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association for 14 years. He has earned over numerous awards including two Harvey Adair Awards for Meritorious Service, a Fred Tarquinio Award for Dedicated Service, and the Felix Rothchild Award for Firefighter of the Year. He served many community boards and associations including Rotary International, Beverly Hills Committee for the Special Olympics Host Town, International Association of the Fire Chiefs, California State Firefighters’ Association and as the Board of Directors’ President for the BH 9/11 Committee. He credits his success to his wife, Donna, and their two sons: RJ, a city of Burbank firefighter, and Brian, a professional baseball player for the Colorado Rockies.
