Fire Chief to Retire After 31 Years on Force

By Jorge Casuso

April 15 -- Fire Chief Ettore Berardinelli -- whose love of the job is “infectious” -- has announced that he will retire at the end of the year, ending a career with the City that began 31 years ago.

Since joining the force in 1972, Berardinelli worked his way up every rank in the department -- firefighter, paramedic, engineer, captain, battalion chief, platoon commander, deputy chief and finally, in 1997, fire chief.

“I love this career,” Berardinelli said. “When I look back, it’s almost like a blessing I was hired by the Santa Monica Fire Department. I consider being given an opportunity here a blessing in my life, like my kids.

“I also feel really good about what the future holds in store,” Berardinelli said. “It’s time for me to get on to the next part of my life.”

After leaving the force, Berardinelli plans to spend more time with his three children and seven grandchildren and doing the things he loves -- working in the woodshop and travelling across the country.

A carpenter's son, Berardinelli said he misses working weekends and evenings in the woodshop in the garage with his father, who died shortly after he joined the force. Since then, Berardinelli has kept up the tradition, making toy boats, airplanes and cars for his grandchildren.

“I’m most excited about the making toys part of it,” said Berardinelli, who once hoped to following in his father’s footsteps. “There’s no pressure. It’s real relaxing to have an idea and then create it.”

City officials said the popular chief -- whose frequent appearances at community events put a kindly, enthusiastic face on a tough job -- would be missed.

“He’s been a great leader for the fire department, and he’ll be tough to replace,” said Mayor Richard Bloom. “He’s among the most personable and well-liked people in a group of City employees who are generally personable and well liked.”

“Ettore has been an impressive chief because he takes to heart greatly the career he’s had here,” said City Manager Susan McCarthy. “There hasn’t been a day he hasn’t woken up and said, ‘I love what I’m doing.’ It’s infectious.”

For Berardinelli, “There’s only three parts to a firefighter’s life. Trying to get on the fire department, being on the fire department and retiring from the fire department.”

Berardinelli spent three and a half years trying to get on the force, finally making it at age 23, then devoting more than three decades to the department, which he describes as a “tremendous organization.

“I leave with a very positive feeling about the past and a very positive feeling about the future,” Berardinelli said.