Montecito Fire Protection District announces new Fire Chief

MONTECITO, Calif. – The Montecito Fire Protection District Board of Directors announced the appointment of David Neels as Fire Chief following the retirement of Chief Kevin Taylor.

Neels' first official day will be Apr. 1 where he will lead a team of about 50 full-time fire department employees.

While earning a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Cal Poly SLO, Neels also started his firefighting career with San Luis Obispo County in 1989.

In 1998, Neels joined the Santa Barbara County Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic where he served for 21 years.

Montecito Fire Department hired Neels in November of 2019 as a Battalion Chief and he was promoted in January of 2021 to Division Chief of Operations.

“In addition to having strong command of the technical, operational and administrative aspects of the role of fire chief, David has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to advancing personal and professional development of fire department personnel and enhancing outreach to our community,” said Board President Peter van Duinwyk. “David’s knowledge, experience and continued dedication to public service made him a clear and excellent choice to serve as Montecito’s next Fire Chief.”

Neels grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and currently lives with his wife and three children in Santa Barbara.