The San Diego City Council voted unanimously Monday to confirm Tracy Jarman as the first woman to command the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Jarman was sworn in by the city clerk immediately after the vote and was given a standing ovation by City Council members and the audience, which included friends and family.
"Thank you so much for your vote of confidence," Jarman said. "I am very honored to step up and be fire chief. I will take care of America's finest city."
Jarman said the city and her department, which has a $160 million budget, face many financial challenges, but "I believe we're starting to turn the corner."
"I am humbled by your support. I am very proud of you -- I have high hopes for you," Jarman told members of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, which includes firefighters and lifeguards.
She also thanked the men and women who mentored her since she camped out in Balboa Park for nine days in 1982 to become a firefighter candidate.
Mayor Jerry Sanders said Jarman "fits the description of the best qualified person perfectly."
"Her entire career has prepared her for this job," Sanders said, noting how Jarman rose through the ranks.
He said Jarman was the unanimous choice of a selection committee which reviewed applications from people all over the world.
Councilman Brian Maienschein called Jarman "level-headed and thoughtful," and said he worked with her around the clock after the devastating Cedar Fire, which leveled many homes in his district, which includes Scripps Ranch.
Councilwoman Toni Atkins said Jarman's "team-building management style translates into service for the city."
Councilman Tony Young called her a "terrific public servant, focused and respected in the community."
Jarman, 50, was nominated last week by Sanders to succeed Jeff Bowman, who announced his resignation on April 4, suggesting he was moved to act because of insufficient funds and resources for the 1,259-strong SDFRD.
Jarman is a 22-year department veteran who was assistant chief under Bowman and has been interim chief since his departure at the beginning of the month.
Jarman had been planning to retire this month but changed her mind when Bowman announced his resignation, which formally becomes effective June 30.
"When Chief Bowman made his decision, I rethought mine," Jarman said earlier. "This is a great organization, and they need the leadership. It was the right thing to do and the right time to step up."
Of the two dozen female fire chiefs in the United States, only one, Joanne Hayes-White of San Francisco, runs a department larger than San Diego's.
Jarman, who was raised in Escondido and lives in San Diego with her domestic partner, Marcia Bonini, will earn between $155,000 and $165,000 a year, according to mayor's spokesman Fred Sainz. Bowman earned $173,000.
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