Chula Vista is keeping it in the family at the fire department. Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Manroe has been tapped as the city's next fire chief, set to take the reins on Dec. 31 as outgoing Chief Harry Muns steps away after nearly three decades in uniform.
City Taps Longtime Deputy As Successor
In a city news release reported by FOX5 San Diego, officials confirmed that Manroe will officially assume the top job on Dec. 31, 2025. The city says he brings more than 27 years of full-time fire service experience to the role. About 17 of those years have been spent in Chula Vista, with earlier stints at the Del Mar and La Mesa fire departments and the San Diego Rural Fire District. The release also notes that Manroe is a licensed paramedic who has steadily climbed the operational ranks across multiple agencies, making this promotion less of a surprise and more of a planned next step.
Chief Muns Bows Out After A Long Run
Chief Harry Muns is calling it a career after a run that started in the mid-1990s and includes leadership roles in urban search-and-rescue and regional training, according to the Chula Vista Fire Department's biography. City of Chula Vista records show Muns joined the department in 1996, helped craft a public-safety staffing plan and played a role in securing several major grants. The department now handles more than 23,000 calls each year, highlighting the busy operation Manroe will inherit, as reported by Times of San Diego.
What Manroe Brings To The Job
Manroe has already been a familiar face on the front lines, leading battalion-level operations and stepping into high-pressure scenes across the city. Local reporting notes that this steady, on-scene presence is a key reason officials were comfortable handing him the top spot. Chula Vista Today documented his work as a battalion chief during a recent fire that tore through several vehicles, while GovSalaries records trace his long-standing leadership roles within the department. City leaders have framed his appointment as a deliberate, orderly transition meant to keep the fire department running smoothly through the end of the year and beyond.
