Hands-on approach: Ryan Harrigan, Roseville Fire's new chief, started his career at the age of 21

Ryan Harrigan is Roseville's newest fire chief. He replaced Rick Bartee, who retired after 43 years in the fire service with the last nine years as Roseville's chief. Harrigan was appointed late last November but worked alongside Chief Bartee during the transition period. Harrigan took over the top spot in January. Before being appointed chief, Harrigan was the assistant fire chief. Harrigan grew up in Folsom and decided he wanted to be a firefighter while he was in high school. With that in mind, he enrolled in Sacramento County's Regional Occupational Program, which provided hands-on experience and career preparation in various fields. Harrigan got into the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) program. Harrigan explained, "I went through the EMT program and had my license by the time I graduated from high school. So that became my career path." Asked why he chose the fire service, Harrigan answered, "In the '80s, it was a popular profession and in the late '80s and '90s, firefighting became more professional and the opportunities increased." Harrigan had an uncle who was in the fire service in Los Angeles. That was his first exposure to the profession. Harrigan wanted a hands-on physical job firefighting provided, saying, "I was attracted to the team aspect of the fire service and working in the community to help people. I didn't want to work in an office." Harrigan started his career with the Folsom Fire Department at the age of 21. He stayed about 3 1/2 years. In 2005, Harrigan joined the Roseville Fire Department. He had a couple of captains in the Folsom Fire Department that acted as mentors and helped him in his career. "They saw potential in me and encouraged me to take the next step and learn more," he explained. Harrigan decided to join Roseville Fire because it was a larger organization and provided more opportunity in terms of upward mobility and promotional opportunities. Roseville also had more specialty assignments, including working with hazardous material and rescue, which Folsom did not have at the time. "As my career went on, I think I came to realize what distinguished Roseville from others, and not just with the fire department; (it's) the community aspect, how tight the community is. This is a special part of the fire department and the city as an organization and how connected they are to the community." Harrigan explained the community supports the fire department, which naturally increases the department's connection to the community. A good example is the popular and successful week-long Junior Firefighting Program. The program is open to kids ages 11-14 and provides hands-on experience with firefighting, including skills like repelling, rescue, safety, lifesaving techniques, first aid and the importance of fitness. Asked about the Roseville Fire Department he now commands, Harrigan said, "Almost all of the firefighters are also certified paramedics." At this point in time, Roseville only hires firefighter/paramedics. The department he inherited has around 114 firefighters and about 130 total personnel, including professional support staff, and fire and life safety. There are nine fire stations in the city. As the city continues its historical growth, the need for additional personnel and stations should increase. Roseville Fire is a busy department. There were more than 24,000 calls for service in 2024. The department categorizes calls into three types: fire, medical and service, which is a catch-all category. Any calls which were not for fire or medical would fall into the service category. Between 60-70 percent of calls are for medical. Harrigan said, "The largest calls for services are for medical assists, and this gives us the opportunity to make a big difference in people's lives." Harrigan is proud of the department's "Advanced Life Support Program," or ALS. Roseville implemented the program in 1983. The program builds upon basic life support skills. For instance, paramedics arriving on scene assess a patient's medical issue and start treating based on the standards set by the state. Paramedics are trained to perform lifesaving measures before a patient is transported to a hospital. The training prepares paramedics to manage medical emergencies like cardiac arrest, strokes and major trauma. Harrigan said paramedics refer to the saying "time is tissue" when dealing with cardiac cases, meaning blood flow is needed to the impacted tissue. "Therefore, response times and early intervention are highly important," he added. "The response time for a medical call from dispatch to scene is seven minutes and response time to a fire is a little longer at eight minutes because the firefighters need to put on additional gear." As the new chief, Harrigan's current goals are to monitor the growth of the city in order to meet the needs of the community in a fiscally responsible manner and to look toward the next evolution of fire service to make the firefighting system more efficient. Harrigan has been working with the command team to establish departmental priorities and a budget. He's proud of the department's culture and connection to the community. Harrigan wants the public to know he's deeply honored to lead the Roseville Fire Department and is proud of the work they do every day touching people's lives. In his time off, Harrigan likes to work on his property and enjoys being outdoors, particularly fly fishing and camping.