The City of Ventura has appointed Assistant Fire Chief Kris McDonald to serve as Interim Fire Chief following the retirement of Fire Chief Dave Endaya on December 19, 2025. Chief McDonald will begin his interim role on December 20 and will serve throughout the recruitment process for a permanent Fire Chief.
Chief Endaya retires after decades of dedicated public service, including more than 10 years leading the Ventura Fire Department.
As Assistant Chief McDonald currently oversees key operational functions within the Ventura Fire Department and brings broad experience across multiple areas of fire service leadership. He has previously served in several command and training roles, supporting department operations, personnel development, and emergency response readiness. Regionally, he also holds multiple qualifications within California’s Incident Command System that strengthen the City’s capabilities during large-scale incidents.
“Kris brings deep operational expertise, a commitment to training and safety, and a steady leadership style that will support both our department and community during this transition,” said City Manager Bill Ayub. “We are grateful to Chief Endaya for his many contributions and wish him well in his retirement.”
As Interim Chief, McDonald will oversee the Ventura Fire Department, with nearly 100 sworn and professional staff and six strategically located fire stations providing all-hazards emergency response. Each year, Ventura Fire responds to more than 18,000 incidents, including fires, medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous materials responses, and mutual aid calls.
Born and raised in Northern California, McDonald began his firefighting career as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in 1994, later becoming a paramedic in 1997. He joined the Eureka Fire Department in 1998 and began serving the Ventura community in 2002 as a lateral Firefighter Paramedic. Since then, he has moved through the ranks of Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, and Assistant Chief.
For more information about the Ventura Fire Department, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Fire.