Acting Fire Chief Gregory Fish has been selected as the Glendale Fire Department’s permanent chief, a position he held from 2015 to 2018.
City Manager Roubik Golanian appointed Fish to permanently lead the department, which the City Council unanimously confirmed at its Feb. 13 meeting.
“Fish brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of our city’s firefighting needs, having previously served as our fire chief,” said Golanian.
During his 31-year career with the Glendale Fire Department from 1987 to 2018, Fish progressed through the ranks from firefighter to captain, battalion chief, deputy chief and ultimately, chief in 2015. His dedication to the department was further exemplified through his roles as fire academy assistant administrator and adjunct faculty member at Glendale Community College. Fish’s contributions to the department have been recognized with the prestigious Distinguished Service Award.
“The reason that I came back is because of the love — the love I have for the community that I served for 31 years, the love of the men and women of the fire department, the love I have for the people in the city of Glendale,” Fish said, calling the decision a “no-brainer.”
Following his tenure with the GFD, Fish continued his work in fire management and emergency response at the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District, where he served as fire chief until his retirement on Sept. 30.
He accepted the role of Glendale acting fire chief on Nov. 1, bringing his leadership to Glendale once again.
“For me to come back is a natural fit and my hope is that you on the Council will be happy with the work we’re doing in the department over the next couple years,” Fish said.
“The love and respect the men and women in the fire department have for you is a testament to your leadership and I’m hoping this new phase will bring you all closer together and take our department, which is absolutely the finest, to the next level, if it’s even possible,” Councilwoman Elen Asatryan. “I’m so grateful for your service and you stepping in at this time.”
Fish earned a master of public administration, public sector management and leadership, with distinction, from California State University, Northridge, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Woodbury University in Burbank.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Chief Fish back to our organization and to our community. His dedication to public safety, his profound commitment to Glendale, and his proven leadership skills are exactly what we need and I’m confident he will continue to uphold the highest standards of service and professionalism that our community expects,” said Golanian.
First published in the February 16 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
