Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion will retire in January, marking the end of a 35-year career in fire service and a decade of leadership in the city.

Concepcion, who was appointed chief on Oct. 1, 2015, will step down Jan. 16, city officials said.

“Serving the city of Vacaville and leading the Fire Department has been an honor and a privilege,” he said in a statement released Wednesday last week.

During his tenure, the department expanded daily staffing from 19 to 29 firefighters, opened two new stations, added more staffed ambulances and launched the city’s wildfire preparedness program. 

He also had served as Vacaville’s interim public information officer for nearly two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concepcion began his fire service career in 1991 with the Orange County Fire Authority, rising through the ranks to division chief before moving north. He has also served on California’s Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council as a first responder representative.

Born in the Philippines and raised in Southern California, Concepcion has lived in Vacaville with his wife, Peggy, for the past decade. Married for 38 years, Concepcion has four daughters with Peggy. 

City Manager Savita Chaudhary praised Concepcion’s “vision, steady leadership, and commitment to innovation” and said the city will begin planning the search for his successor in the coming months.