Paso Robles fire chief to retire after 35 years

When Jonathan Stornetta first pulled on turnout gear more than three decades ago, Paso Robles looked a lot different than it does today. The city on the Salinas River has grown, stretched, and changed — and through most of those years, Stornetta has been one of the people residents called when things went wrong.

Now, after 35 years in fire and emergency services — more than 25 of them serving the Paso Robles community — Stornetta is stepping away. The city announced Thursday that its fire chief will retire on Dec. 18, closing out a career that culminated in one of the most consequential stretches of growth in the department's history.

The Paso Robles Daily News first reported the announcement.

From interim chief to a department transformed

Stornetta's path to the chief's office ran through the ranks. He was appointed interim fire chief in October 2017 and was named fire chief the following April. What happened over the next nine years, by nearly any measure, reshaped emergency services in Paso Robles.

Under his leadership, the Fire and Emergency Services Department nearly doubled in size, according to the city. Today it fields 50 full-time career personnel serving a 19.9-square-mile area from three fire stations — a footprint that reflects both the city's growth and a deliberate investment in keeping response times fast as new neighborhoods pushed outward.

Stornetta, characteristically, points the credit away from himself.

"Serving as Fire Chief has been the greatest privilege of my career," he said in the city's announcement. "I am incredibly proud of our staff. Their professionalism, compassion, and commitment to helping others make this department exceptional. Whatever we have accomplished, we have accomplished together."

The Measure J-20 years

The department's expansion didn't happen in a vacuum — it was built on a community decision. Stornetta credits the growth to department staff, the support of the City Council and city leadership, and the public's investment in public safety through the Measure J-20 supplemental sales tax, which Paso Robles voters approved to fund city services.

City Manager Chris Huot said that investment was paired with a clear vision for what the department could become.

"Chief Stornetta has served our community with expertise and commitment," Huot said. "His vision for the future of emergency services led to thoughtful investments of Measure J-20 funding in staffing, facilities, training, and equipment. Our Fire & Emergency Services Department is stronger and more responsive thanks to his leadership, and the community will benefit for years to come."

The tangible results are easy to spot around town. The department opened Fire Station 3, extending coverage into the city's growing areas, and followed it with the adjacent Public Safety Training Center — a regional resource for emergency responders that drew dignitaries including Congressman Jimmy Panetta to its opening. Earlier this year, the city's fire protection rating improved from Class 3 to Class 2, a distinction that reflects everything from staffing and equipment to water supply and training, and one that relatively few departments achieve.

The cost of the badge

For all the accomplishments listed in press releases, Stornetta's retirement announcement also carried a quieter, more personal note — a nod to what the job takes from the people who hold it.

Stornetta expressed gratitude to his family for their support and understanding throughout a career that often required long hours, missed celebrations, and time away from home in service to the community. It's a reality every fire family knows: the birthdays interrupted, the holidays spent at the station, the dinners that go cold when the tones drop.

"I leave with deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve, pride in this department, and confidence in its future," Stornetta said.

What comes next

The department Stornetta hands over is entering its transition from a position of strength. According to the city, Paso Robles Fire & Emergency Services has completed a Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover and is now developing its next five-year strategic plan, covering 2027 through 2032. That planning process will help guide future staffing, service delivery, and long-term planning.

The city will conduct an open recruitment for the next fire chief. In the meantime, Deputy Fire Chief Jay Enns will serve as interim fire chief until the process is complete, ensuring continuity at the top of a department that answers thousands of calls a year across nearly 20 square miles.

For Paso Robles residents, the change at the top is more than bureaucratic shuffling. It's the end of an era for a department that, over the past decade, added stations, added firefighters, built a training center that serves responders from across the region, and earned one of the best fire protection ratings in the country. The person who shepherded much of that growth will walk out the door on Dec. 18 for the last time.

That, Stornetta suggested, is exactly as it should be. The department, he said, is exceptional because of its people — and its future, he believes, is in good hands.

More information about the department and the recruitment process is available at prcity.com.