The Montecito Fire Protection District has officially named Brian Fallon as its new Fire Chief, effective April 1, following the retirement of longtime Chief David Neels.
Fallon brings more than two decades of fire service experience to the role, most recently serving as Fire Chief for the Lompoc City Fire Department.
Originally from Riverside, California, Fallon was inspired to pursue a career in public safety by his family. He began his career in emergency medical services, working as an EMT and paramedic in Riverside while completing his training.
He attended Mount San Antonio College for paramedic school in 2002 and later completed his Firefighter 1 Academy through Riverside Community College in 2004.
In 2005, Fallon joined the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District as a firefighter/paramedic, where he spent 16 years rising through the ranks to engineer and captain. During that time, he also earned a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science Administration from Waldorf University.
He later served as a battalion chief with the Victorville Fire Department before being promoted to Fire Chief in less than a year. While leading the department, Fallon helped open a fifth fire station in an underserved area of the city.
Fallon moved to Santa Barbara County in 2023 to lead the Lompoc Fire Department, where he worked closely with city leaders to modernize operations. His efforts included replacing the department’s entire fleet of firefighting apparatus and adding a second wildland engine.
Fallon has also served as vice president of the Santa Barbara County Fire Chiefs Association and as a liaison for the California Fire Chiefs Association.
“I am genuinely humbled and honored to join Montecito Fire Department,” Fallon said. "My goal is to provide our personnel with the tools and resources they need to effectively do their job while looking for opportunities to maintain and enhance our services for the community’s benefit.”
Fallon succeeds Chief David Neels, who retired March 31 after more than 36 years in public safety, including over six years serving the Montecito community.
