City Appoints New Fire Chief

Sacramento Deputy Fire Chief Chad Augustin will serve as the city’s fire chief, according to a statement released on Monday.

Augustin will begin his tenure in Pasadena on Feb. 22.

He will oversee 190 full-time employees and an annual department budget of $55.5 million.

“I am so pleased to have Chief Augustin joining Pasadena as our next fire chief. He has impressive qualifications and well-rounded experience working at a busy urban fire department as well as demonstrated involvement in his community,” said City Manager Steve Mermell.

“The chief’s passion for the fire service is infectious, and he has a reputation as being a leader others want to follow,” Mermell said. “His desire to foster innovation, collaborate with school districts and state and local agencies, and mentor the next generation of fire service leaders will benefit the Pasadena community and Fire Department employees.”

The city retained the services of executive recruiting firm Teri Black & Company, LLC to conduct the search for a new fire chief after former Chief Bertral Washington left the city in March.

Washington, who is African American, was relieved of his command on Feb. 10 and “reassigned” by Mermell to the city manager’s office – officially, to work on the city’s Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) program. He was replaced on a temporary basis by Chief Bryan Frieders, who formally retired on Nov. 30.

Local African-American leaders sought a reason for Washington’s reassignment but were given no answers due to a state law that prohibits public discussion of personnel matters.

At the time, Allen Edson, president of the NAACP, issued a statement saying he viewed the move “suspiciously.”

The nationwide search for a new chief spanned four months and attracted many well-qualified candidates. During the recruitment process, Pasadena residents were invited to share feedback regarding qualifications and characteristics most important in their new fire chief via the city’s website.

Of the 40 applications received, the search firm identified 11 applicants as most qualified based on the established criteria. These applicants then participated in initial screening interviews, and the city manager and the consultant narrowed the field down to the top four applicants. These four finalists were interviewed in mid-December by a professional panel of fire chiefs, Pasadena Fire Department employees, the assistant city managers, and city manager.

Augustin began his career with the Sacramento Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic and rose through the ranks over the last 20 years, serving in a wide range of areas, including training, fire prevention, administration, human resources, professional standards, operations, and emergency medical services.

He comes to Pasadena with a diverse background in hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, large-scale emergency/disaster incident management, and developing short- and long-range plans.

Augustin earned a master of legal studies degree from the University of Arizona, where he graduated magna cum laude; a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Waldorf University; and a chief officer certification from the California State Board of Fire Services.

Augustin said he is honored and excited to join the Pasadena Fire Department. He and his wife of 24 years, Sandra, look forward to making Pasadena their home, according to Mermell.