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Redwood City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz announced the appointment of Baraka Carter as the new fire chief for the Redwood City Fire Department on Thursday.
“I’m truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve as the fire chief,” Carter said.
Diaz expressed her appreciation for Carter’s track record in effective community engagement in a press release. She said his ability to lead with integrity, build strong teams and foster community trust will be invaluable to the city’s public safety.
Carter, who has over 25 years of experience in fire services, previously served as the fire chief for the CAL FIRE Santa Clara unit, South Santa Clara County Fire District, and Morgan Hill City Fire Department. As the deputy chief of operations under CAL FIRE, he oversaw operations across five counties: Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Western San Joaquin and Stanislaus.
Carter is a certified chief fire officer, a hazardous materials specialist and a Type 1 incident commander who manages the most complex situations like wildfires and other emergencies. He is also getting his bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Columbia Southern University, and he expects to have it by August.
Carter has served on several committees, including the Emergency Medical Services Authority, where he contributed to developing statewide policies and practices relating to emergency medical services. He is also involved with the National Advancement of Colored People and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Redwood City Council previously approved a decision to appoint retired Fire Chief Ray Iverson as the interim fire chief while the city continued its search for a new fire department head. Iverson led the department from June 2021 until his retirement on Dec. 20, 2024.
According to Deputy City Manager Jennifer Yamaguma, Carter’s starting base salary is $316,705 annually, and he will begin work on Feb. 24.
Carter said he plans on spending the next 3-6 years serving as the Redwood City Fire Chief and, if possible, maybe up to eight years.
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