Manhattan Beach Fire Department Chief Scott Ferguson has announced he will be leaving next month to take over as chief of the Santa Monica Fire Department.
Ferguson submitted his resignation on Friday after serving little over two years as the city’s fire chief. He and Mayor Mitch Ward both described his departure as an amicable parting.
“We hate to see Scott leave,” Mayor Mitch Ward said. “He has been here for a relatively short time. But he’s improved on some areas in a department already full of highly professional men and women. We are disappointed that we extended quite a bit of time and money to scout out people to lead the department and would’ve liked him to stay in the area longer. But I understand him wanting to move to a much larger department.”
Ferguson was selected from 67 applicants. In Santa Monica, he will lead 109 firefighters spread out over four stations, a significant jump from the 30-man force housed in two stations he currently oversees. His support staff — currently made up of one full-time administrator — will consist of roughly 25 administrative personnel. He will fill the vacancy left by retired former SMFD Chief Jim Hone.
“Chief Scott Ferguson is a fast rising star in the fire profession,” Santa Monica city manager Rod Gould said. “His references and all who interviewed him are most impressed with his skill, energy, leadership and integrity. Scott will be the right person to lead the department.”
Santa Monica’s larger population — roughly 85,000 to Manhattan Beach’s 33,000 — and diverse demographic also appealed to Ferguson.
“The city of Manhattan Beach and the fire department here have been great,” Ferguson said. “But in comparing, Santa Monica is closer to the type of organization I was raised in and that I’ve known since I was a young firefighter.”
The decision was difficult and bittersweet, Ferguson said, recognizing that “fire fighter culture doesn’t accept two-year chiefs.”
“I’m happy to be going to Santa Monica,” Ferguson said. “And I’m very excited. But you can’t just invest two years and walk away without caring. My style has always been to invest in people, whether fire fighters, city staff, or the community. Any time you tear at that fabric, it makes it difficult to leave.”
Ferguson, 48, said that the position with SMFD will provide him and his family with opportunities he fears may be unachievable in his current position.
“Before we came here, my wife Maria left a good career with hopes of eventually getting a job out here,” Ferguson said. “Two years later, she still doesn’t have one. At our ages, we want to sink roots somewhere and buy a home. As hard as we’ve tried out here, we’ve personally struggled to make ends meet.”
Ferguson was hired as MBFD’s chief in Jan. 2008 at a starting salary of $160,000. He said that since meeting education incentives, his salary has grown to roughly $177,000. SMFD will start the fire chief off with a base salary of $198,000 plus management incentives that could total upwards of $200,000.
In December, Ferguson applied for the SMFD opening, which he was initially ambivalent about pursuing. He said he did not apply elsewhere. He also said he disclosed his resume submission to former city manager Geoff Dolan, who resigned later that month from his post after 15 years with the city.
“The City Council treated me good,” Ferguson said. “So did the community and the city manager. [Dolan]’s leaving did not mean I was leaving. Maria and I did a lot of soul searching about this. Geoff leaving caused us to look at how viable another opportunity in Santa Monica would be.”
Ferguson served five years as Support Services Chief for the Peoria Fire Department in Arizona before being hired by the MBFD. He was one of 50 applicants who made it through the three-month selection process to replace former MBFD Chief Dennis Groat, who retired after 14 years with the city.
“I was sold on working for this city the minute I saw the quality of the people working here,” Ferguson said in a 2008 interview with the Easy Reader. “I think a successful chief’s job is sometimes to be a conduit between the goals of the firemen and the goals of the community and City Council.”
During Ferguson’s tenure, he helped modernize MBFD’s management by further implementing strategic plans based on a staffing study developed to refocus and prioritize the department.
“Chief Ferguson brought tools for us to put together in laying out a deep roadmap going into the future,” MBFD Battalion Chief Frank Chiella said. “The overall plan was a joint effort among all personnel, but he left a legacy for us that will be on-going.”
“A lot of us are bummed to see him go,” MBFD firefighter Rudy Mejia said. “But we have a strong foundation and the morale among the guys is still pretty high.”
Ferguson’s last day with MBFD will be March 19.
Ward said that he and the city manager will meet this week to begin discussing filling the fire chief position. The city has yet to decide whether to hire an interim chief or have MBFD battalion chiefs fill in until a permanent chief is hired.
Ward estimated the process to find a new chief could take up to six months.
“We have a very capable staff and we will be fine,” Ward said. “We will consider all aspects, both internally and externally, during the hiring process. Some battalion chiefs may step up. Nothing has been determined yet.” ER
