Santa Rosa Interim Fire Chief Tapped To Fill Role Permanently
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF/BCN) -- The city of Santa Rosa selected Interim Fire Chief Scott Westrope this week to fill the position permanently following a nationwide search.
Westrope, who has spent 21 years of his 27-year fire service career with the Santa Rosa Fire Department, takes over effective Monday after accepting the interim role when former Chief Tony Gossner retired in December.
As interim chief, Westrope oversaw the funding and imminent implementation of a vegetation management program to increase Santa Rosa's wildfire resilience, and has experience battling wildfires -- even losing his own home to the Tubbs Fire in 2017, according to the city.
"Understanding what the department has been through and what the community has experienced is the guiding line for developing this exceptional organization into the future," Westrope said in a news release.
City Manager Sean McGlynn said Westrope was selected after he "demonstrated immense leadership through previous local wildfires and work with community partners and other agencies."
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