The city of San Luis Obispo has named Keith Aggson as its new fire chief.
Aggson had served in an interim role since October 2018 after Garret Olson retired. He has been with the city since January 2017, when he was hired as deputy fire chief. Aggson’s new position officially starts Thursday.
“I look forward to continuing my fire service career in the City of San Luis Obispo,” Aggson said in a statement. “I am excited for the opportunity to continue to guide the department into the future as our community evolves and grows.”
Aggson, who lives in Templeton with his wife, Jessica, will earn an annual base salary of $166,244.
Throughout his 30-year fire service career, Aggson has held leadership roles in fire departments across San Luis Obispo County, according to the city.
He began his career in 1990 as a firefighter/paramedic with the Atascadero City Fire Department. He later served as the interim fire chief for the Templeton Community Services District and then spent two years with the Paso Robles City Fire Department as battalion chief of operations and city fire marshal.
“His combined fire service experience throughout San Luis Obispo County coupled with his certifications as an incident officer on large fires throughout California made him uniquely qualified to lead the department,” the city stated.
“The choice to have Keith fill the role is a great step for our community,” City Manager Derek Johnson said in a statement. “He’s been an integral part of the department over the last two years and brings a vast knowledge of firefighting expertise from his work with other Central Coast departments. The city will benefit from his leadership, operational expertise, outside experience, and familiarity with the region and city.”
During the consideration of the appointment, Aggson went through a “rigorous evaluation process that consisted of regional fire chiefs along with community partners and members and serving as the interim fire chief since November 2018.”
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