After six years at the helm of the Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD), Fire Chief David Rocha is ticking down his final days with the agency.
“When I informed the board in October that I planned on retiring, I certainly didn’t expect the transition to be impacted by a pandemic or all of the social-justice issues going on right now,” Rocha said.
In retirement, Rocha plans on enjoying time with his family, while keeping his eye out for future opportunities.
“Right now, I’m planning on taking a break for a little bit of time,” he said.
When Rocha informed the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and the county administrator of his decision, he was asked to remain in his role until his successor was identified. Now that a new chief has been named, Rocha’s last day with the ACFD will be Aug. 15. The board recently announced that Willie McDonald will take over as fire chief two days later. McDonald joins ACFD from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, where he has served as fire chief for the last seven years.