by John Glidden | glid24@protonmail.com | November 20, 2025
VALLEJO – City officials announced Thursday that interim Deputy Fire Chief James Rustice has been appointed as the city’s newest interim fire chief, becoming the third such interim fire chief since June 2024.
Rustice starts his new position on Friday, November 21, replacing Arthur Gonzales, who served in the interim post for a good portion of the year. Department Spokesman Kevin Brown said the change was being made due to limitations imposed by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), the nation’s largest public pension fund.
Brown said Gonzales will remain with the department, returning to his previous position as battalion chief.
“He will stay with the Vallejo Fire Department and has no plans to depart in the foreseeable future,” Brown wrote in an email to JohnGlidden.com Thursday. “He will continue to serve the City and Citizens of Vallejo as a Battalion Chief.”
Brown said the department will begin its search for a new fire chief at the start of the year, confirmed that the department held a recruitment earlier this year and selected a candidate, but it didn’t result in a new fire chief being hired.
“An offer was made to an outside candidate for a permanent Fire Chief position, but this candidate opted to stay with his current department to seek upward movement there,” Brown wrote.
Vallejo hasn’t had a permanent fire chief since Kyle Long was relieved of his duties in April 2024, ultimately being terminated in June 2024. Long received three months’ severance equal to more than $63,000 according to a separation agreement with the city of Vallejo.
Then-interim Police Ta was named as the acting fire chief for two months following Long’s disappearance. After terminating Long, Murray tapped Frank Drayton, who served as Vacaville’s fire chief from 2012 to 2015, as Vallejo’s interim fire chief. Ta was named the permanent police chief in late 2024, two years after he became the interim following the sudden resignation of Chief Shawny Williams in November 2022.
Murray then appointed interim Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Gonzales to serve as Vallejo’s new interim fire chief, replacing Drayton who was limited to the number of hours he could work as a retiree under California law, in January 2025.
At the same time, Murray retained Drayton to serve as a fire department consultant. He received about $95,000 for a year, while assisting in developing fire and life safety policies and procedures, served as liaison between the fire department and other city departments, assisted in the development of the fire prevention program, and advised on the interpretation of state and local laws and regulations relating to fire services, according to the consultant professional services agreement.
Brown confirmed Thursday that Drayton’s consulting contract recently ended.
“His knowledge and experience helped the department secure valuable grant funding and develop advisory plans that will continue to assist our department as we serve our citizens into the coming years,” Brown added.
Like Gonzales, Rustice has spent decades with the Vallejo Fire Department, according to the press release naming him interim fire chief. He started with Vallejo in early 200 as a firefighter-paramedic before being promoted to fire engineer in 2006 and to fire captain in 2016, the same release states.
Promoted to battalion chief in August 2023, Rustice was named interim deputy fire chief in July 2025, “supporting department-wide administration, strategic planning, and operational oversight,” the city wrote.
“With a strong commitment to public safety and professional excellence, Chief Rustice continues to serve the Vallejo community with integrity, resilience, and a forward-looking vision for the fire service,” the city added.
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