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Longtime deputy fire chief Joe Testa will take on the role of fire chief for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department effective Monday (April 4), according to a joint statement from the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton.
Following the retirement of former chief Jeff Peters nearly a year ago, LPFD has completed its recruitment process and selected his permanent replacement.
“It is truly the greatest honor of my career to have the opportunity to lead the men and women of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department (LPFD),” Testa told the Weekly in an email.
“I look forward to working with the members of the LPFD, its partner cities and our community to ensure that we continue to deliver the best services possible. This will include continued work on our strategic plan, which was launched last year and takes a deep look into ways we can evolve as an organization,” he added.
In their statement, officials from both cities praised Testa’s experience and skills, including his leadership and expertise in fire command.
“Chief Testa has a proven track record working with our two cities. He is a talented leader who is invested in our communities and whose commitment to excellence is a great asset to the department,” Livermore City Manager Marc Roberts said.
Pleasanton Interim City Manager Brian Dolan echoed similar sentiments.
“Chief Testa is uniquely suited to combine his deep understanding of LPFD with his exceptional expertise in fire command and operations to advance the fire department in serving its two partner cities,” Dolan said.
Before being named permanent fire chief, Testa previously served from April through September 2021 in one of two six-month rotations as interim fire chief.
Testa began his nearly 30-year fire service career as an on-call firefighter and then firefighter/paramedic prior to joining LPFD in 1996, according to city officials.
Starting as a firefighter in Pleasanton before the consolidation of the Pleasanton and Livermore fire services, Testa moved up the ranks to engineer, fire captain and battalion chief. He has also served as LPFD deputy fire chief since 2015.
“While I am not new to the LPFD, I do believe that my new role is an opportunity to build upon relationships with our stakeholders in the two cities and the LPFD team,” Testa said.
In addition to his work experience, Testa has a Bachelor of Science in professional studies from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Arts in leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California.
Testa is a certified chief officer, paramedic and strike team leader. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, an incident commander for the East Bay Incident Management Team and has previously served as president of the Alameda County Fire Chiefs Association Operations and Communications sections.
There is no family relation between the new fire chief and Pleasanton City Councilmember Julie Testa.
Congratulations Chief Testa! We are lucky to have you leading the department.