Carpinteria-Summerland's new fire chief was sworn in.

Dan Stefano, a firefighter with more than 30 years of experience, was sworn in this week as fire chief of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District at a ceremony attended by family, local officials and emergency personnel.

Dan Stefano was sworn in this week as fire chief of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District at the Walnut Avenue station. The ceremony was attended by his family, close friends, city and county officials, and other emergency personnel. Stefano began with the district earlier this month after the retirement of Fire Chief Robert Kovach. He has more than 30 years of experience in the fire service. Details: - Fire Captain Dave Baker opened the ceremony and spoke about Stefano's commitment to leadership, service and responsibility. - Stefano served 12 years as fire chief of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue and previously spent 18 years with the Laguna Beach Fire Department in roles including fire division chief, training and EMS chief, and fire marshal. - He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer program and holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Long Beach, plus a master's from USC's Executive Leadership program. - Stefano has served as president of the California Fire Chiefs Association and was inducted into the California Fire Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2023. - The department presented orchids to his wife, Michelle, and their three daughters, Sofia, Siena and Sicily, who attended the ceremony. Summary: Stefano's swearing-in completes a leadership change following Robert Kovach's retirement and represents his formal start with the district. He thanked the board and community and praised the local emergency-response personnel he has worked alongside since arriving earlier this month. He is also scheduled to be inducted into Orange Coast College's Alumni Hall of Fame later this year.