SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – After 33 years of service, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig has announced his retirement. Hartwig plans to retire at the end of the year, having served as fire chief for the county since 2019.
A press release by the county says Hartwig has served a “respected leader at both the local and state levels.” He began his firefighting career in 1992 with the San Bernardino County Fire Department. He later served as a Battalion Chief and Deputy Chief with the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District and appointed Fire Chief for San Bernardino County. He began leading the Santa Barbara County Fire Department in 2019.
During his service, Hartwig has helped lead efforts to expand the county’s paramedic services to all fire stations, helped establish a county-wide emergency dispatch center with regional fire chiefs, and pursued competitive bidding for emergency ambulance services…