When Matthew Hallock took over the Santa Monica Fire Department in early 2024, he came in talking about a different kind of 911 response. In the 18 months since his arrival, that talk has turned into a slate of new medical programs, from a voluntary Community Connect registry to nurse-led mobile units that push more care into the field and cut down on unnecessary hospital runs. For a department long defined by traditional fire and rescue work, it is a noticeable pivot.
City Manager David White announced Hallock's appointment on Jan. 25, 2024, and Hallock officially joined the department on Feb. 12 with an annual salary of $303,588, replacing Interim Chief Wolfgang Knabe. According to City of Santa Monica, he arrived with more than two decades of emergency response and preparedness experience in his back pocket.
Hallock came to Santa Monica from Monterey Park, where he had served as fire chief since 2020 and led that department through both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Star Ballroom shooting, experiences city leaders pointed to when they hired him. As reported by Santa Monica Mirror, his résumé also includes work as an emergency preparedness planner at Southern California Edison and a master's degree in public policy.
Programs Focused On Medical Care
Under Hallock, the department has put extra weight on tools that let crews act faster and with more clinical muscle. In January 2025, the city launched Community Connect, a FirstDue-powered registry that lets residents and businesses share floor plans, medical needs and pet information so responders can plan before they ever roll up to a scene, according to Canyon News. The department also launched an Advanced Provider Unit in late 2025 to pair nurse practitioners with firefighter paramedics so more patients can be treated on the spot.
Ambulances Come Back To City Control
On Feb. 1, 2026, the Fire Department started running its own Ambulance Operator Program, pulling ambulance operations back under city control after years of relying on a private contractor. According to City of Santa Monica, the program is projected to bring in roughly $7 million in revenue against an estimated $2.8 million in annual operating costs and is meant to tighten response efficiency while creating a training pipeline for future firefighter paramedics. City officials say the move fits into a broader Realignment Plan aimed at keeping services steady and the budget in line.
Early Results And A Growing Pilot
Early numbers suggest the new field models are already shifting how care is delivered. The first Advanced Provider Unit responded to more than 130 calls in its first three months, provided advanced care to dozens of patients, treated more than 20 people in place and avoided ambulance transports more than 50 times, according to Canyon News. On the strength of that performance, the City Council signed off on a second APU, and officials say they plan to expand coverage to seven days a week as staffing allows. Hallock has also backed smaller on-the-ground changes, including peer support tools and new nurse recruitment, meant to keep crews healthy as their jobs evolve.
Hoodline first ran a short piece on Hallock's hire in January 2024; this update tracks what his tenure has produced so far. See the original hire story for the initial announcement and the City of Santa Monica announcement for additional background.
