Salinas hires Watsonville Fire Chief to lead department

The City of Salinas didn’t have to go far to find the next leader of their fire department. They have hired current Watsonville Fire Chief, Pablo Barreto. He said he has had his sights on Salinas for a while now.

“When Chief Rodriguez was there, him and I worked a lot together. When I became a fire chief, I really noticed the excellent department, the community, and how much growth there is. I see a lot of opportunities,” said Barreto.

Salinas Fire has seen nearly two decades of instability. Barreto will be the 9th Chief in the last 17 years. He arrives after previous chief, Jeff Johnson, left the position after only 8 months. Barreto said he’s here to stay. “Ultimately, this area is my family’s area. I’m really invested in this area. For me, it feels just like moving to a different different neighborhood, but being a part of the community, as well,” said Baretto.

Baretto has been in Watsonville for the past 22 years. He has served as division chief, fire captain, marshall, and eventually fire chief in 2014. This is a new challenge, as Salinas has a population about three times the size.

Barreto plans to start at Salinas Fire at the end of April. He said he is excited to meet his new staff. “That’s gonna be one of my biggest priorities. Get out there, meet them, greet them, spend time with them, hear their concerns, hear where they’d like to improve, hear the progress that’s going on, and new ideas that are out there, and try to implement that for the future,” said Barreto.

Barreto’s last day in Watsonville is March 14th. Their search for a new chief begins now.