City of San Luis Obispo hires new fire chief
Todd Tuggle
Todd Tuggle’s first day as chief will be Dec. 5
– San Luis Obispo City Manager Derek Johnson has announced the appointment of Todd Tuggle as the San Luis Obispo City Fire Chief following Chief Keith Aggson’s retirement on Dec. 9.
Tuggle’s first day as chief will be December 5, 2022, and his annual base salary will be $218,400. He will manage the San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s $14 million budget and lead a team of about 60 full-time fire department employees serving the San Luis Obispo community.
“Todd’s strong leadership skills will aid in the rollout of the fire department’s five-year strategic plan to ensure that the department continues to meet the community’s and the city organization’s needs,” said Johnson, “Todd’s passion, strong work ethic, and innovation makes him a fantastic addition to the department head team.”
Tuggle comes to the city with 19 years of experience in the fire service industry. Tuggle most recently served the City of Santa Maria for two years as the deputy chief and chief of the Santa Maria Fire Department. Tuggle led the Santa Maria Fire Department through the Covid-19 pandemic and led the development of the department’s first strategic plan.
Before Tuggle and his wife, Jules, moved to the Central Coast in 2020, he spent 17 years serving the City of Fresno Fire Department. During his time in Fresno, Tuggle worked his way through the ranks culminating as the deputy chief of training and special operations. He also worked with state incident management teams for over 10 years on various disasters throughout California.
Tuggle earned a master’s degree in homeland security from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly.
“I am excited to return to the city from which my wife and I received so much,” said Tuggle, “It is a great honor and opportunity to lead such a dynamic group of professionals in a vibrant and growing community. I look forward to continuing the department’s focus on skilled, progressive, compassionate service while expanding the department’s connectivity to our citizens and business community.”
Chief Tuggle was selected following a national search and rigorous evaluation process. The evaluation process consisted of interviews with regional fire chiefs, community partners, regional city managers, and current department staff.
