New fire chief anxious to get to work

Mary A. Castillo

It’s still two months before he officially switches jobs, but already

Ken MacLeod is deep into meetings with his new staff.

MacLeod, who last week was named the city’s fire chief, has since been

talking with members of the department and his battalion chiefs Mike

Macey, Mark Baker and Jess LaTendresse.

“I am going to personnel to gather information about what needs to be

done because they know the community and problem areas,” he said. “We are

working together to make the transition as efficient as possible.”

MacLeod fills a spot that’s been vacant, in a sense, for three years

since Bill Edmundson stepped down for health reasons following a

difficult relationship with the Laguna Beach Firefighters Assn. Jim Reed

has served as interim Fire Department chief since August 1999.

MacLeod comes to the job from inside City Hall: right now he’s deputy

city manager and director of administrative services. He will assume

duties as fire chief on July 1.

MacLeod started his career with the county assessor’s office as an

auditor after he graduated from Cal Poly Pomona. He worked in various

administrative positions with the county until 1981 when he joined the

Orange County Fire Authority as a business manager.

While he was with the fire authority and working under Chief Larry

Holmes, the agency grew from providing service to nine contract cities to

the present total of 22.

“Chief Holmes was a very progressive chief who gave managers the

opportunity to rotate among the different departments,” said MacLeod.

The exposure to the inner workings of the fire authority eventually

led him to a promotion to deputy fire chief in 1987.

In that position, MacLeod oversaw three division chiefs and a total of

60 stations. He managed field services as well as all emergency services

including medical, disaster, hazardous materials and fire.

In 1999 he retired from the Fire Authority.

After working with the City of Dana Point, MacLeod joined the Laguna

Beach City Manager’s office in April 2001.

“I was attracted to the city because of its sense of purpose for what

it wants for its future,” MacLeod said.

In February, when the recruitment process to find a permanent fire

chief began, MacLeod sat on the recruitment panel. But he was not

initially a candidate, said City Manager Ken Frank.

Then, after weighing MacLeod’s 18 years of experience with the Fire

Authority against the three finalists, the panel offered him the

position.

MacLeod, who will also be celebrating his 39th anniversary with his

wife Judy in July, said he is looking forward to facing the challenges

that are unique to the Laguna Beach Fire Department.

“Laguna Beach is like many small cities where they cannot afford

specialization,” he said. “The personnel in this department are

generalists who have expertise in everything.”

Citing the community’s significant risks of wild land fire and

flooding, in addition to typical urban risks, one of the first steps

MacLeod plans to take is to ensure that the department is prepared to

meet potential emergencies. He also plans to establish a succession plan

and take steps toward lowering potential personnel turnover.

After working in an organization of about 18,000 personnel, MacLeod is

excited to tackle issues in a tightly knit department.

“With 36 firefighters, a department secretary and three battalion

chiefs, I can interact with personnel on a more personal basis,” he said.

“Better communication leads to better results.’