OAKLAND, CA—In the latest shakeup at Oakland City Hall, Fire Chief Darin White is leaving Oakland for a new job in Marin County.
White, who became chief in the aftermath of the deadly 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire, accepted a job as chief of the San Rafael Fire Department, according to an announcement sent Thursday afternoon to city employees.
Chief White’s departure comes as Oakland looks for a new police chief, following the firing of Anne Kirkpatriick on Feb. 20, and as City Administrator Sabrina Landreth leaves her post next week.
“While I have mixed emotions about leaving such a close-knit organization, I look forward to a new challenge that will further my growth and experience as a Fire Chief,” White said, in the email sent to city employees.
Deputy Fire Chief Melinda Drayton will take over as interim fire chief, effective April 4.
In a statement, Mayor Libby Schaaf said she wishes White “all the best as he makes this transition from an incredible and decorated career serving Oakland to a new challenge in San Rafael.”
“As a native Oaklander who rose through our ranks, he offered steady and thoughtful leadership with a unique understanding of our city. He has made Oakland safer and more resilient,” Schaaf wrote.
White was a deputy fire chief when on Dec. 2, 2016, a blaze tore through a building, killing 36 people attending a dance party. The Ghost Ship fire — the deadliest structure fire in modern California history — exposed departmental failures to track dangerous buildings. The Fruitvale District warehouse was not inspected by the fire department or code enforcement, despite numerous complaints.
Three months after the fire, Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed sent in her retirement paperwork days after her city pension vested.
White was named as Reed’s successor, but not without more controversy. A Los Angeles assistant fire chief told this news organization the city had offered him the job and was prepared to announce his hiring, but he turned it down after the compensation package was not what was originally offered.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Mayor Schaaf and City Administrator Landreth for their unwavering support, past and present members of the City Council for their partnership in making the city safer, the many city employees who I’ve had the pleasure to know over the course of my career, and, most importantly, the residents and community based organizations who make Oakland such a truly special place,” outgoing Chief White said in a statement.
During White’s tenure, the department managed to hire a new fire marshal after a year-long vacancy, as well as coordinate multi-agency responses to a series of ongoing fires at developments under construction and work alongside PG&E crews during last year’s power-safety shutdowns. White also made a point of leadership during a firefighter’s questioning by suspicious neighbors and worked to heal the department in the wake of a fatal shooting and injury to two firefighters.
Staff writer George Kelly contributed to this report.
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