Redding’s fire chief has retired. The announcement came Friday, which was also his last day

Last Friday, the City of Redding made a surprise announcement that the head of the Redding Fire Department, Chief Jerrod Vanlandingham, was retiring. His last day in office was that same day, August 21. Recruitment to fill his position has not yet begun. 

Vanlandingham was recruited in 2020 to lead Redding’s municipal fire team after serving as the deputy fire chief in Longmont, Colorado. His retirement marks the end of a decades-long career in public and fire safety, the city’s press release said, quoting Interim City Manager Michael Webb.

“He has had a distinguished career in public service, and we wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement,” Webb said.

Vanlandingham is only the latest city leader to vacate his role this summer, marking 2026 as a time of immense transition for Redding’s city governance — the public safety sector in particular. In June, Redding Police Chief Brian Barner served his final day in office after announcing his retirement in April. Meanwhile in other sectors of the city’s government, Redding lost its City Manager William Tarbox when he unexpectedly passed away in July after only five months on the job, and its lead attorney Christian Curtis, when the city announced he had taken another job in February.

The city’s interim city manager, Webb, is currently holding three roles: public works director, assistant city manager and the city manager role.  

More change to the city’s leadership will occur in November with three council member seats up for grabs. The terms of Jack Munns, Tenessa Audette, and Erin Resner — who won the midterm election for county supervisor — are all set to expire this year. Munns and Audette are both running for reelection, while Resner will begin her new role on the county board.

For now, Deputy Fire Chief Jason Foley, who has served with RFD for over 20 years, has stepped into Vanlandingham’s role as the city begins the recruitment process. Details about that process are forthcoming, but Webb used the press release to express confidence in Foley’s leadership.

“Jason brings years of experience and a strong understanding of the organization to the interim role,” Webb said. “I am confident he will provide strong leadership during this transition.” 

Fire safety is of great concern in Redding, which is situated in a wildland-urban interface within a part of California extremely prone to wildfires. The fire department also handles burn permitting, defensible space inspections, and acts as first responders in some non-fire emergency situations. Second only to the Redding Police Department, 26% of the city’s budget goes toward fire safety, which amounted to $28.4 million in 2025-2026.

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Aug. 24, 2026 3:43 p.m.: We have updated this article to correct a first name.

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