Fire Chief Wolfgang Knabe, leader of the Fullerton and Brea departments, said he will retire Dec. 29 to pursue other opportunities.
Deputy Chief of Operations Adam Loeser will be the next chief for the two departments, which function independently but share a command staff. He has handled day-to-day operations for the departments since 2015.
Knabe has served as Fullerton’s fire chief since 2005. When the two cities merged their command staffs in 2011 to save money, he became Brea’s chief as well. Combined the departments have more than 130 employees.
“Right now, I think, is a good time because both departments are run very well,” Knabe said. “Everything’s aligned for success at this time.”
Knabe launched the Urban Search and Rescue program for the departments. He also navigated the departments through cuts, part of the cities’ broader budget reduction.
“Nobody wanted to do it,” he said.