Petaluma taps Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Schach for top spot

Former Assistant Fire Chief and Acting Fire Chief Jeff Schach has been selected to lead the Petaluma Fire Department as chief, the city announced late Thursday.

Schach, who has been with the department for 22 years, has served as acting chief for the past four months as the city has worked to replace former Chief Leonard Thompson.

“We are excited and grateful that Chief Schach is permanently stepping into this role as our Fire Chief,” City Manager Peggy Flynn said in a news release. “Jeff has a deep connection to our community and has demonstrated steady, visionary leadership for the department as well as strong, collaborative partnerships within our county and region. We feel very fortunate to have had such a strong candidate from within our own ranks, and I am confident that Jeff is the right leader at the right time.”

Schach said he didn’t initially want the top job, but warmed to the role while filling in on an interim basis.

After he reached out to Flynn to express his interest in the role, the city did not post the position publicly, Flynn said in an interview Friday morning.

“I had an inkling that he was already viewed as a leader in the department. But I wanted to give him time in that seat,” Flynn said Friday, adding that Schach had also asked for time. “It was almost instantaneous where we saw that Jeff really just took naturally to the role.

Schach replaces Thompson, who retired at the end of 2021 as part of a $60,000 settlement with the city of Petaluma. The basis of that separation, which started with Thompson being placed on administrative leave Nov. 3, has not been publicly revealed.

The Petaluma firefighters union applauded the move on social media, congratulating Schach and saying the union was “looking forward to future success.”

Representatives with the union, which expressed shock and disappointment last year when Thompson was placed on administrative leave, did not return a request for comment.

Monday marks the official beginning of Schach’s tenure as chief, and he’ll start with an annual salary of $221,457.60, matching Thompson’s most recent salary.

Unlike Thompson, Schach will not oversee the Rancho Adobe Fire District as chief on a contractual basis, but Schach and Flynn highlighted an ongoing relationship between the departments.

“We need to work well with our neighbors - coordinate and collaborate,” said Schach, adding that operations and training were moving along seamlessly.

Schach credited the fire department’s command staff, including Interim Assistant Chief Chad Costa, for taking on added responsibilites during the interim period.

As he looks ahead to the rest of 2022, Schach said his top priorities include a comprehensive evaluation of department needs, including personnel and facilities, as well as a focus on climate change and other initiatives that align with City Council goals - such as diversifying the department’s workforce.

Petaluma does not currently employee a female firefighter, something Schach said would change at the beginning of April.

Schach is a Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College graduate, and he began his career with the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District and Cal Fire, according to the city’s news release.

Since joining the Petaluma Fire Department in 2000, he has served as a firefighter, battalion chief and assistant fire chief. Schach, who has worked as a rescue paramedic on Henry-1, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter, has also served as the city’s Emergency Operations Manager.

Schach also served eight years as a combat medic in the Army Reserves, according to the release.

Schach lives in Cotati with his wife and son. He also has two older children that live locally, and he has recently become a grandfather, according to the release. Schach was not immediately available for an interview, but said in a statement that he was excited about the current direction of the fire department and honored to serve as chief.

“With the community support in the recent passage of Measure U, the support of City Council, and an amazing City team, my focus is to build and enhance the Department’s facilities, equipment, and staffing to enable our dedicated personnel to continue to provide exceptional service to our community,” Schach said.

Tyler Silvy is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at tyler.silvy@arguscourier.com, 707-776-8458, or @tylersilvy on Twitter.