On Friday, Dec. 13, Interim City Manager Laurie Montes announced that Deputy Fire Chief Richard Edwards would be appointed as Stockton's new Fire Chief, and on Jan. 1, Edwards officially began his appointment.
A nationwide search was conducted for the position after the retirement of Erik Newman earlier this year, only to lead right back to the Stockton Fire Department [SFD], where Edwards has been active for many years. Last week, a formal badge pinning ceremony was held after ringing in the New Year. Edwards has a long history in fire protection and prevention. His service in the city of Stockton, for instance, is far from just beginning.
"Since 1995, I've worked in the fire service, so it's a long history," Edwards said in a conversation with ABC10. "[I] worked in other agencies, been fortunate to work here in the city of Stockton since 2000. I was hired as a firefighter paramedic here and promoted through every rank."