Fire Chief David Neels was sworn in as Montecito Fire Protection District's Fire Chief on March 31, 2023. 

Chief Neels began his firefighting career in 1989 in San Luis Obispo County while earning his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 1998, he joined Santa Barbara County Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic. During his 21 years with Santa Barbara County Fire Department, he progressed through the ranks to Engineer, Captain and Battalion Chief.

In November 2019, he joined the Montecito Fire Department as a Battalion Chief. He was promoted to Division Chief of Operations in January 2021 and became Fire Chief effective April 1, 2023. 

Chief Neels worked with federal Incident Management Teams for over 15 years, responding to major emergencies across the Western United States. Throughout his 25-year-long firefighting career in Santa Barbara County, he responded to dozens of major local incidents including the Tea Fire, Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow.

In addition to his role as Montecito Fire Chief, he currently serves as an Incident Commander for the Santa Barbara County Type 3 Incident Management Team. 

Chief Neels grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and three children.