Montecito Fire Welcomes New Battalion Chief

Montecito Fire Department welcomes new Battalion Chief, David Neels. “We are very excited to transition Chief Neels into our already excellent management team and look forward to drawing from his depth of knowledge as an emergency response professional,” said Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. 

Chief Neels began his career in 1998 with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department as a Firefighter Paramedic. In November of 2015, he was promoted to Battalion Chief and now he joins the Chief Officer ranks of the Montecito Fire Department. Chief Neels has earned an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering Technology, a Masters of Public Administration, and has filled the position of Division Supervisor on a California State Type I Incident Management Team for several years.He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and three children.