SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, August 2, Santa Monica City Manager David White announced the departure of Fire Chief Danny Alvarez. Alvarez has led the Santa Monica Fire Department since February 2022. His last day with the city will be August 31, 2023. He will transition to the Burbank Fire Department serving as the Fire Chief there.
“Our Fire Department has accomplished so many incredible things under Chief Alvarez’s leadership,” said White. “I will miss working with Chief Alvarez, but I’m happy his career has come full circle and he’s going back home to his Burbank fire family as their top leader.”
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the Santa Monica Fire Chief and work alongside the dedicated staff of the Santa Monica Fire Department, who serve our community with the utmost professionalism and compassion,” said Chief Danny Alvarez. “Santa Monica is a beautiful city and a wonderful community. I am incredibly grateful for all the friendships and professional relationships I have developed with members of our community, City staff, and members of the Fire Department.”
Achievement accomplished by the SMFD during Chief’s Alvarez’s tenure include the following:
-Developed the Santa Monica Fire Department’s first strategic plan
-Received recertification for Class 1 rating with the Insurance Service Organization for outstanding fire protection; Class 1 is the highest rating that can be awarded to any fire department nationwide
-Established a formal Fire Department diversity, equity, and inclusion work group
-Initiated the NARCAN leave-behind program as part of the City’s continued efforts to reduce deaths associated with opioid overdoses
-Completed the construction of a new training facility
-Added grant-funded automated LUCAS CPR devices to all front-line apparatus; these devices increase blood flow to the brain by up to 60 percent compared to manual CPR
