OAKLAND — The city’s fire department said Monday it will fill a year-long vacancy with its hire of a marshal who will report for duty later this month.
Fire Chief Darin White said Orlando Arriola, a former El Paso, Texas, firefighter, peace officer and fire marshal and New Mexico fire chief, will assume office April 22.
White said in part that he looked forward to the “leadership, energy and work ethic” he expects Arriola to bring to the department.
“Orlando comes prepared to perform all aspects of the position and will directly contribute to the safety and well-being of all Oaklanders,” White said.
“He is prepared to drive innovative community risk reduction strategies and implement key performance measurement metrics to ensure the Department is accountable to all residents and businesses.”
Arriola works as a Texas state hospital’s risk manager, emergency management coordinator and safety officer for a state hospital, and liaisons with the Texas state Office of Risk Management.
As marshal, he will lead 38 civilian workers and one sworn staff member and run the department’s fire prevention bureau, which handles vegetation management, fire-safety education, fire code enforcement and inspection of high-hazard occupancies.
He will have to handle setting up processes for annual state-mandated inspections, as well as reviews and inspections of construction plans, and weigh in on applicants seeking to building structures ranging from single-family homes to high-rise buildings and large-scale developments.
The department’s leadership has worked to restore and rebuild its inspection and enforcement responsibilities since the Dec. 2, 2016 Ghost Ship fire where 36 people died, and the Mar. 27, 2017 San Pablo Avenue halfway-house fire where four people died.
After former fire marshal Miguel Trujillo resigned just over a year ago to become fire marshal for the city of Gilroy, White took over as interim fire marshal.
The department began a nationwide search that led officials to Arriola, who earned a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in public policy and management, and a master of public administration certificate in urban and regional planning from the University of Texas at El Paso.
He will report to Chief White and work alongside William Gilchrist, Oakland’s director of planning and building.
“My approach is focused on empowering others and using consensus-building to make quality decisions, build trust, and form effective relationships with staff and the community,” Arriola said in a statement.
“I look forward to getting to know the talented men and women of the Oakland Fire Department and working closely with the community-based organizations, volunteers, and others who have a vested interest in our fire prevention and education programs.”
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
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