ST. GEORGE — A month after a vacancy opened up for the police chief of Santa Clara and Ivins, there is now an opening for a new fire chief.
Andrew Parker has resigned as chief of Santa Clara-Ivins Fire & Rescue after a little over two years on the job, citing a need to be with a family member struggling with a health issue, according to city and fire sources.
“He has a family member in California with health issues and needs family close by, and he chose to go back to take care of family,” said Lance Haynie, a division chief in the department who also serves as the government affairs director for Santa Clara.
The public safety vacancy comes exactly a month after the cities’ joint police chief Bob Flowers ended a 16-year shift as police chief to lead security for Black Desert Resort. Within a week, Jaron Studley was named the new police chief.
But Haynie said the search for a new fire chief won’t likely be as rapid.
“We don’t want to rush the process until we find someone who can continue the vision of Chief Parker,” he said.
Parker took on the job in February 2022 after a long career as a fire captain and firefighter with the Los Angeles and Rancho Cucamonga fire departments in Southern California. With the joint Santa Clara-Ivins department, he led a change in the department from an emphasis on volunteer firefighters to a mostly full-time force operating 24/7 and reopening the fire station in Ivins.
Parker also noted during a joint Santa Clara-Ivins City Council meeting in January that during his tenure, the department’s response times had been reduced from 15 to five minutes.
“His leadership was invaluable during the fire department’s transition to the full-time fire and rescue service the community enjoys today,” Santa Clara Mayor Rick Rosenberg told St. George News. “We wish him the best with his future endeavors.”
The application for a new chief is online and lists the minimal qualifications. But Ivins Mayor Chris Hart said there are a lot of qualifications leaders of both cities will be looking for that might not be apparent on paper.
“They’ll be looking for a capable replacement who has a good grasp of fire, EMS and wildland fire services and can manage budgets, coordinate proper staffing and keep up on the ever-changing regs,” Hart said. “Ivins and Santa Clara are desirable places and will attract some interest in the fire community with our combined situation.”
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