Costa Mesa names new fire chief

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- After a five-month statewide search, city officials

announced Tuesday that Jim Ellis will replace retiring Frank Fantino as

fire chief.

Ellis, who has served as the city’s battalion chief for nearly nine

years, was selected from a field of 15 candidates and four finalists.

Fantino will retire May 22 after serving 28 years in the Costa Mesa

Fire Department, nine years as chief.

On Tuesday, an ecstatic Ellis said he has dreamed about this day since

he started as a paramedic in the department on Feb. 10, 1980.

“It’s been a wonderful surprise,” he said.

Ellis, who grew up in Costa Mesa, said he has always appreciated the

city’s community spirit.

“It’s such a tight community,” he said. Everybody comes together

during a crisis, he added.

“The biggest example I’ve seen so far is the preschool incident,” he

said, referring to the day in May 1999 when a man plowed through a local

playground, killing two children and injuring several others.

Ellis’ community spirit is what made him the best man for the job,

City Manager Allan Roeder said.

“He has been a true leader,” he said, “not only within the Fire

Department. He has played a significant role in taking the fire service

out of the fire station and into the community.”

Ellis was responsible for developing and implementing many of the

city’s community-oriented fire and emergency programs.

Also remarkable is Ellis’ desire to make the department a bigger

player by working closely with other city departments, Roeder said.

In addition to serving as battalion chief, Ellis has served as a

paramedic, firefighter and fire captain during his 21 years with the department. He manages the city’s 32-member fire suppression division and

serves as commander of its Fire Department honor guard.

A Cal State Long Beach graduate, Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in

fire administration. He is also an instructor at Santa Ana College’s fire

academy. He was named employee of the month by the Costa Mesa City

Council in February.

Ellis will be sworn in at the end of May, but a specific date has not

been set, said Roeder.

Among Ellis’ future plans for the department are improving basic

services and updating technology.

“That keeps changing every day,” Ellis said, “but we need to make sure

we have the most effective equipment.”