SLO appoints interim fire chief to permanent position

May 19, 2026

SLO Fire Chief Randy Harris

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The city of San Luis Obispo has removed the interim tag for Fire Chief Randy Harris.

Harris had been serving as the city’s interim fire chief since January. Effective Monday, he is San Luis Obispo’s new fire chief.

Earlier this year, the city conducted nationwide recruitment for a fire chief. Strong candidates were identified, but none were hired, the city stated in a news release on Monday announcing Harris as the new chief.

Harris came out of retirement to serve as the San Luis Obispo’s interim chief. He had recently retired from the city of Paso Robles, where he served in the fire department for 28 years. Harris retired as deputy fire chief in Paso Robles.

“In a demonstration of true leadership, Randy graciously offered to come out of retirement to serve our community as the fire chief in the longer-term,” SLO City Manager Whitney McDonald said in a statement. “We are so fortunate to have Randy on our team, and I know he will continue to serve the community well.”

Harris says he is excited to continue serving the community, building strong leadership within the fire department and building strong relationships in the city.

“As interim fire chief, I have experienced tremendous support of the city’s leadership team and the entire department,” Harris said. “There are several critical fire department needs that will require solid leadership over the coming years, which is why I offered to continue leading our fire department team.”

Harris manages the fire department’s $18 million budget and leads a team of about 60 full-time workers. The city is preparing to build and, in the coming years, open Fire Station 5.