Tiburon fire creates assistant chief role with longtime crewmember

Tiburon Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Tommy Hellyer has been promoted to the newly created position of assistant fire chief to help create a line of succession at the agency, where Rich Pearce has been fire chief for 22 years. (Ted McDonnell / For The Ark)

The Tiburon Fire Protection District has promoted veteran firefighter Tommy Hellyer to serve as assistant chief, a new role aimed at creating a direct line of succession when current Fire Chief Richard Pearce retires.

Hellyer, who most recently served as a battalion chief in his nearly 20-year career with the district, was appointed by a 4-0 vote of the district board following a closed-session discussion at its April 17 meeting; the board currently has one vacancy. He’ll earn an annual salary of $212,622.

Though Pearce, who has served as the district’s chief for the past 22 years, said he currently has no retirement date in mind, he proposed the position to ensure there would be a transition period “to maintain continuity of the organization, project oversight and personnel management.”

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