-Editorial
Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, Juan Contreras raised his right hand to take the oath of office and was officially pinned as Fire Chief of the Calexico Fire Department in a heartfelt ceremony held Monday, July 21, at the Fernando “Nene” Torres Council Chambers at Calexico City Hall. The event marked a milestone in Contreras’ two-decade-long service to the community he’s long called home.
Attendees included fire department personnel, city staff, members of the community, and city leaders who joined together to celebrate what many described as a new and promising era for the city’s public safety leadership.
Contreras, who started with Calexico Fire in 2005, reflected on his humble beginnings during the ceremony. “I did my paramedic internship here in 2004 and fell in love with the department and the city,” he said. Hired shortly after by then-Fire Chief Carlos Escalante, Contreras worked his way up the ranks, from firefighter-paramedic to engineer, and then captain in 2015. He officially took on the role of acting fire chief last year and was appointed as permanent Fire Chief at the July 16 City Council meeting. During 9 months he was the acting City Manager and was praised by many in the community for his work and openness to the community.
“Now here we are today,” he said proudly. “It feels good. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve this city. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and I will continue to serve Calexico with everything I’ve got.”
Chief Contreras highlighted his plans for the department’s future, emphasizing safety, growth, and modernization. “We have a lot of new changes coming, new promotions, new faces filling seats. The council has been supportive. We’re getting two new fire engines in the next couple of years. We’re exploring enterprise ambulance services. We’re working closely with the school district and the college. It’s a new era.”
Contreras said he sees this moment as a turning point with a new city manager, new department heads, and new leadership across multiple city departments. “We’re heading in the right direction,” he said.
Mayor Pro Tem Victor Legaspi echoed that optimism.
“He’s an awesome individual who took care of our city for a while as interim city manager, and I think he’s a man who’s going to move things forward, for the fire department and the city,” Legaspi said.
Among those in attendance was Pete Mercado, former Calexico Fire Chief and current Deputy Fire Chief at the Chula Vista Fire Department. Mercado helped hire Contreras nearly 20 years ago.
“He’s a person of strong character, a solid worker, and was always motivated to keep learning and growing,” Mercado said. “It’s a good day for Calexico. I’m proud of how far he’s come.”
