Livermore Fire Chief Moving South To Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA, CA —The Santa Clara Fire Department hired a fire chief from the Tri Valley area to serve the South Bay city starting June 30.

Santa Clara City Manager Deanna J. Santana announced the appointment of Ruben Torres, who has more than 33 years of fire service experience. Torres joins the Silicon Valley city from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department where he’s served as fire chief under a Joint Powers Authority.

“I look forward to working in partnership with the community and building upon the great work
that the Santa Clara Fire Department has accomplished over the past several years,” the incoming fire chief. “As fire chief, I recognize the importance of our organization being well-positioned and nimble to address the service delivery demands of a growing city while also continuing to deliver extraordinary service for Santa Clarans.”

The selection intended to replacing a retiring Bill Kelly follows an extensive national recruitment process. Kelly, the chief since 2012, has served the Santa Clara Fire Department for 35 years.

“Chief Torres’ strong progressive leadership abilities, collaborative style and his vast fire
experience in culturally diverse communities will be huge assets for the city, the fire
department and our community,” Santana said. “We conducted robust employee engagement
and community outreach, getting input from residents as well as staff about selecting a fire chief
who’s committed to providing service without limits."

Santana met with more than 100 fire department staff for their input on the selection.

With 14 years of senior command experience, Torres also served as the city of San Jose’s fire chief. In San Jose, he served in numerous positions for the department, which is reflected in his deep
knowledge and experience in fire services.

The Santa Clara Fire Department is one of only seven municipal fire departments in California
to be nationally accredited by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, according to city management. The fire department is comprised of nearly 170 fire professionals and operates out of 10 fire stations.