Riverside County Fire Marshal Salary Gets Boost

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved upping the salary range for the position of Riverside County fire marshal, potentially making it more attractive to prospective candidates for the job.

In a 4-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the Department of Human Resources' proposed modification to the fire marshal compensation plan.

The range will go from the current $116,493-$180,178 to between $129,893 and $200,969.

Human resources staff pointed to a market survey comparing Riverside County's marshal pay scale to the only other counties in the region that have similar positions -- San Bernardino and Ventura. According to the survey, San Bernardino County's range is $147,555 to $209,809, while Ventura County's is $118,384 to $165,754.

Officials said that the newly established range will bring Riverside County into line with the other counties, as well as achieve "internal parity" between the fire marshal slot and deputy chief positions in the fire department.

The job is now filled by an interim appointee, Sonia Cooley, who has been on temporary status since June 15 of this year, according to the Executive Office.

The last permanent fire marshal was James Fraser, who served from March 2013 to the end of May 2023, when he left voluntarily.

The marshal is under the direct supervision of the county fire chief, currently Bill Weiser.

According to officials, the marshal is responsible for various aspects of fire protection planning, with oversight on staffing and budget preparation. The marshal also serves as the lead authority on fire and building codes, as well as deploying personnel for inspections in unincorporated communities and vetting applications for permits tied to special events, such as fireworks shows.

It was unclear whether the Department of Human Resources had lined up potential candidates for the permanent position.