Toledo OH Fire Chief Luis Santiago Retirement Firefighters

June 13 -- Toledo Fire and Rescue Department Chief Luis Santiago announced his retirement Wednesday, effective later this summer.

Chief Santiago said he expects to remain in the position until his retirement, effective Aug. 3.

“It has been a privilege leading this great department, which is full of talented and dedicated men and women,” Chief Santiago said in a letter to department members, which was provided to The Blade. “It is and was truly an honor serving as fire chief. I wish nothing but the best for the department and the city of Toledo.”

Chief Santiago is away on a planned vacation Wednesday and is gone through next week. A message was left for the chief on his cell phone.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said he did not ask the chief to retire and added that he will be difficult to replace.

“This was a decision that he made on his own. I’m going to be sad to see him retire,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said. “He has given literally his entire adult life to the Toledo Fire Department. I believe he became a firefighter when he was 21, and for 34 years he has sacrificed on behalf of the city. I have nothing but respect for him and his work.”

Chief Santiago joined the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department in May 1984. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1988, captain in 1993, battalion chief in 2000, and assistant chief in 2007.

He was named the department’s first Hispanic fire chief on July 2, 2011. He took over for retiring Fire Chief Mike Wolever.

At the time, former Mayor Mike Bell said he was confident in Chief Santiago’s abilities.

"He has proven himself to be a valuable leader among Toledo's firefighters and a strategic incident response commander," Mr. Bell said. "I have no doubt that Toledo can continue to depend on a competent and professional fire department under his leadership."

In 2017, the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department responded to more than 60,600 incidents, of which 53,904 were emergency medical service calls. The remaining 6,758 were fire-related incidents. It was the first time the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department exceeded 60,000 runs in one calendar year.

Arson-related arrests increased 57 percent last year over 2016, thanks to the work by the fire investigation unit under Chief Santiago’s leadership.

Mr. Kapszukiewicz said he learned of the chief’s planned retirement late last week. He praised his leadership and also commended his work to repair strained relationships with union officials.

Local 92 — which represents firefighters up to the rank of captain — in May, 2015 voiced no confidence in the city’s fire chief by a vote of 319-46. Union officials criticized Chief Santiago for poor leadership, repeatedly calling for his resignation.

Previous union leadership criticized the chief for policies cited in a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report regarding the January, 2014, on-duty deaths of two firefighters Pvts. Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman. In December 2017 union officials announced their relationship had improved.

“I think everyone knows there was a low point a couple years ago with the vote of low confidence, and not everyone could have emerged from that moment successfully,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said. “I think because of his leadership style and the respect people have for him, he was able to turn a tough situation into one where I genuinely believe the leadership of that union holds him in high regard.”

Jeff Koenigseker, president of Toledo Firefighters Local 92, said he spoke with Mr. Kapszukiewicz before and after the election. He assured the mayor he would work with whomever serves as chief to provide best services for the city.

Chief Santiago is a “solid civil servant” and Mr. Koenigseker wishes him well, he said. The two reopened a line of communication between union and administration, speaking often, he said.

“When he understood that was going to be my focus, and that Local 92 wanted to move forward, we began talking, and we talked, and we talked,” Mr. Koenigseker said.

There will be a seamless continuation of emergency service for residents during the transition, the union president said.

Police Chief George Kral was unavailable for comment Wednesday, a department spokesman said.

Chief Santiago holds various certificates from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Incident Management System and the United States Coast Guard. He is a member of the Lucas County Fire Chiefs, the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The chief serves on Toledo Zoo Foundation Board, Toledo Fire Museum Board, and is a founding board member for the Toledo Fire & Rescue Foundation.

He has also served on the Advisory Board of the State Fire School of Bowling Green State University, the Board of Trustees of Knight Academy. He was trustee of the Toledo Firefighter Health Plan and was an assistant football coach for St. Francis High School for 26 years.

Now, it’s ultimately up to Mayor Kapszukiewicz to appoint the next fire chief.

He said he has a “short list” of people within the department, including Assistant Chief Karen Marquardt, but also will consider looking at outside candidates.

“There’s some folks I think could be good. Karen’s one of them, but there’s a couple others,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said. “We’ll spend the next month or so having some informal talks and bouncing ideas around, and I know we’ll come up with someone good and it will be someone who will be in the position of building on the good work Chief Santiago has done.”

During a March interview with The Blade, Chief Santiago said Assistant Chief Marquardt would make a “very good chief” and she is “very well equipped” to take over the position whenever he plans to retire.

A message was left for Assistant Chief Marquardt.

In the March interview, Chief Santiago did not specify when he intended on retiring, but he said he was taking more vacations and relying on his right-hand assistant chief to oversee the department while he was gone.

The chief, who is part of the deferred retirement option plan, would have to retire by March 2020.

Check back for updates.

Blade staff writer Ryan Dunn contributed to this report.