The city of San Luis Obispo announced the appointment of new fire chief.
Randy Harris, who has been serving as the interim fire chief since January, will begin serving as fire chief starting June 18, 2026. The city conducted a national recruitment search earlier this year to fill the position, and “while strong candidates were identified, none were ultimately appointed as fire chief.”
Harris started his fire career in 1990, and recently retired from the city of Paso Robles as deputy fire chief after 28 years of service. “In a demonstration of true leadership, randy graciously offered to come out of retirement to serve our community as fire chief in the longer-term,” said SLO city manager Whitney Mcdonald.
San Luis Obispo’s fire department operates on an $18 million budget, according to the city, with 60 full-time fire department employees serving the community.
