Names in the News: February 6, 2022

ALLISON ARMSTRONG took over as the first female chief in the history of the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department (TFRD) on February 4. Armstrong joined the department in July 2000 and moved up through the ranks, being promoted to lieutenant in 2010, to captain in 2011, and to battalion chief in 2019. She replaces previous TFRD chief Brian Byrd, who retired after 34 years with the TFRD to become head of the city’s Department of Public Safety. Armstrong has a bachelor of nursing degree from Mercy College and a master of health informatics from the University of Cincinnati.

TINA R. WATKINS was sworn in as both the first-ever black and female chief of the Petersburg (VA) Fire Department (PFD) on January 31. Watkins arrives at the PFD from the Richmond (VA) Department of Fire and Emergency Services, where she worked for three decades, serving as the department’s battalion chief for the past 11 years. In that role, she supervised five stations and six fire companies. Watkins is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and was named the 1995 Richmond Firefighter of the Year.

THOMAS GREIF was named as the new chief of the Coeur d’Alene (ID) Fire Department (CDFD). Greif was previously the department’s deputy chief and will replace Kenny Gabriel, who will retire on February 15 after more than 30 years with the department. Greif is a 24-year CDFD veteran and has held numerous leadership positions within the department. He is also the president of the North Idaho Fire Chiefs Association and has worked with the Kootenai County (ID) EMS System.

DANNY ALVAREZ will take over as the new chief of the Santa Monica (CA) Fire Department (SMFD) on February 28. He replaces Wolfgang Knabe, who had been acting as the department’s interim chief since June 2021 after previous SMFD chief Bill Walker took the top job at the Bedford (TX) Fire Department. Alvarez is a 24-year veteran of the Burbank (CA) Fire Department, where he rose through the ranks, starting as a firefighter, to eventually work as its acting chief, battalion chief, captain, fire engineer for hazmat and fire prevention inspection, recruitment academy instructor, and urban search and rescue member.

FRANK SOTO will take over as the new chief of the Spokane Valley (WA) Fire Department (SVFD) on March 1. He replaces previous SVFD chief Bryan Collins, who will retire from the position after a 38-year fire service career. Soto is a 26-year fire service veteran who was most recently the SVFD’s deputy chief. He spent 22 years with Albuquerque (NM) Fire Rescue, where he left that department as its division chief. He then moved on to become the assistant chief with the Rural Metro Fire Department in the Tucson, Arizona, area, where he worked for three years.