Board set to appoint Robert Fish as new county fire chief

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - The Board of Supervisors tomorrow is slated to appoint a new fire chief for Riverside County.   

Robert Fish, a Cal Fire firefighter for 34 years, is slated to be appointed to take the helm at the Riverside County Fire Department, assuming the position held for more than five years by Chief Bill Weiser.

Weiser is due to officially retire on Dec. 31. Counting his time as a volunteer fireman, Weiser has been with Cal Fire since 1981.   

"Robert Fish ... most recently served as deputy chief over East County Operations,'' according to a statement posted to the board's agenda for Tuesday. "His leadership record demonstrates a strong commitment to firefighter safety, community partnerships and interagency collaboration."  

Fish has managed operations spanning the entire county region from Beaumont to Blythe, supervising Cal Fire operations in 10 of the 19 municipalities that contract with the county for emergency services. The county has contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection services since the 1940s.

Fish was selected based on vetting handled by a committee composed of two board members, as well as officials from the Executive Office and Cal Fire.   

Weiser replaced Shawn Newman as fire chief in August 2020. During the chief's watch, several fire stations have been constructed and renovated. However, the county fire department's budget has also grown in that time, though by working with the Executive Office, cost overruns have been held in check.