The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is getting an interim chief on January first. The CDF has more than 5,000 employees and a roughly $700 million budget. KPBS Reporter Erik Anderson has details.
State fire Marshall Ruben Grijalva has been picked to lead the CDF until a permanent replacement is found. He takes over from Dale Geldert - the former Oceanside Fire chief who announced his retirement a few weeks ago. Grijalva says he's shaping his agenda for the first 100 days.
Grijalva: "There's a lot to preparing for wild land fire season . Bringing on temporary employees. Making sure that when the fire season opens that you have people that are adequately trained and equipped to deal with the issues they might face."
Secretary Mike Chrisman chose Grijalva. He is only the second CDF chief to bring a fire fighting background to the post. Grijalva was the fire chief of Palo Alto for ten years. Erik Anderson KPBS News
