San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowmanannounced his resignation on April 4, citing the city’s current financial challenges.
Bowman has been San Diego’s fire chief since 2002. Prior to this, he was Anaheim’s fire chief. In all, he has been a fireman for 33 years, 20 as a fire chief.
Bowman, who was critical of the city’s handling of the 2003 wildfires, said in his resignation statement that “further progress to improve the services we provide to this community are cnotingent upon new resources being provided the Fire-Rescue Department. Given the magnitude of issues our new mayor is facing, and trying to resolve, it is apparent that the city’s current financial challenges may take years to solve,” Bowman wrote.
Bowman also claims the city went back on a promise it made him when he transferred to San Diego. He was told he would be vested into the city’s pension plan after five years, instead of the usual 10.
Councilman Jim Madaffer said in a statement that Bowman now “leaves the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department far better than he found it.”