An all-star line-up of Santa Monica dignitaries gathered at Fire Station 1 on 7th Street on Wednesday morning to watch the swearing-in ceremony of the City’s new Fire Chief, Matthew Hallock.
This is the fourth Fire Chief Santa Monica has had in less than the same amount of years. Hallock’s appointment was first announced by City Manager David White in January of this year and before that, Wolfgang Knabe had been acting as interim Fire Chief since September of 2023. That in turn followed the departure of Danny Alvarez, who left in August of last year after less than two years in the position to return to his former station in Burbank.
Hallock comes to Santa Monica from the city of Monterey Park, where he has served as fire chief since 2020. He brings 24 years of experience having begun his fire service career as a reserve firefighter in 1994, then returning as a firefighter in 2002 and rising through the ranks.
Attendees included members of Santa Monica’s Fire Department (SMFD), including the most recent class of new recruits, Mayor Phil Brock, Councilmember Christine Parra, City Manager David White, Assistant City Manager Susan Cline, Interim City Clerk Nikima Newsome and Police Chief Ramon Batista, along with Hallock’s wife, Cheryl and members of his family.
Proceedings began with retired Santa Monica Fire Chief Ettore Berandinelli giving an impassioned speech based on his own experiences having spent a lifetime in the service before Hallock took to the podium.
"Chief Hallock I wish the very best for you, for the members of the Santa Monica Fire Department and the citizens that you will continue to protect. Becoming a firefighter was a dream come true for me and leading this department was a tremendous honor," Berandinelli said.
Hallock himself predominantly spoke of family and community, talking not just of his own, but also the firefighting family and the community of Santa Monica.
"I made a promise to these firefighters when I first got here. In my first few days, I met with every shift to introduce myself and I made a promise to them … that I’ll be the last outside Fire Chief in Santa Monica. I truly believe that the talent is out there to lead this department in the future," he said, adding, "And it’s my job and my promise that I’ll bring every resource in to make that possible … There’s no reason why the next leader of this fire service is not right here in this department. So that’s my promise to you."
Talking to the Daily Press, a visibly delighted Hallock said, "I’m excited, honored, I’m blessed. I mean, every adjective in the book just describes how I feel about being selected for this role."
Regarding Alvarez’s departure after less than one year and four months in the role to return to his former department in Burbank as their new Fire Chief, Hallock said, "Danny is a great friend of mine and I’ve known him for a number of years … He and I talked quite a bit leading up to this opportunity. So I was able to rely on him for a lot of background in the department. Danny has been a tremendous asset and is a tremendous friend."
When asked if he plans to stick around for longer than a year and four months, Hallock responded, "I plan to, yes. This is my final destination in this journey … When this opportunity opened up, I knew this was a department I always wanted to be a part of. The last time that it opened up, when Chief Alvarez was selected, it wasn’t the right time for me. I’d only been a chief for a little while in Monterey Park.
"I believe all things happen for a reason and that brought me here, so I intend to finish my career here in Santa Monica."
Hallock is a long-time Southern California resident and currently resides in Long Beach having grown up in Orange County. He has a master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program through the US Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy. His salary upon joining the SMFD is $303,588.
The SMFD receives approximately 19,000 calls annually and for the first time in a number of years, it is fully staffed, being budgeted for 122 sworn and 15 non-sworn employees with a daily staffing of 35 firefighters. Its resources include five fire stations, seven paramedic engine companies, one tiller operated ladder truck company in combination with one air/light rescue company, and one battalion chief vehicle, working 48 hour shifts.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
