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A 32-year veteran of the Riverside Fire Department will serve as the department’s interim chief.
Mike Esparza has been the department’s acting chief since December, a position he took over when Chief Steve Earley retired, according to a statement released Tuesday by the city.
Esparza has now been named interim chief, and he’s expected to remain in that job for at least six months while a nationwide search is conducted to find Earley’s replacement.
“The Riverside Fire Department has been my life for more than three decades, so my roots with this organization run very deep,” Esparza said in the statement. “I look forward to further serving the department that has meant so much to me and my family.”
Esparza was one of three high-ranking officials in the department to express an interest in the Fire Chief position after Earley stepped down, but he agreed not to pursue the job in exchange for being named interim chief, according to the statement.
