By Adam Foxman
The Ventura County Star
VENTURA, Calif. — On the day he submitted paperwork announcing his retirement after more than 30 years with the Ventura County Fire Department, Chief Bob Roper said it just felt like the right time.
After nearly 15 years as the agency’s top official, Roper filed paperwork Wednesday indicating he will retire effective March 30.
Roper, 55, said the department is running smoothly and is financially stable, and he wanted to leave while he was still at his best as a leader. He said he also wanted to spend more time with his young grandchildren, one of whom lives out of state, and do more community work.
‘You need to know when it’s time to pass the torch, and that’s what I’m doing,’ Roper said Wednesday.
Roper, an Ojai resident, said the overall decision was not directly related to his campaign for the Ventura County Board of Supervisors seat to be vacated by Steve Bennett, who is running for Congress.
‘Right now, what I want to do is deal with the transition of this great organization,’ Roper said.
When he announced in November his intention to run, Roper said he planned to continue working as fire chief and would step down if elected.
The demands of campaigning, however, led Roper to change his mind about the timing, saying he had to devote all of his attention to being fire chief while in that role.
‘I owe it to the taxpayers to make this decision now,’ he said.
He began his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1978 and worked his way up through the department. He was appointed fire chief in 1997.
Roper cited relationships with neighboring fire departments and new technology that allowed the closest resources to respond to emergencies — regardless of jurisdiction — as one of his core achievements.
He said he was proud of the stability he was able to bring to the department, as well as long-term planning that allowed it to maintain staffing and services during tough fiscal times.
Roper said he had a great team and none of the accomplishments were his alone.
Matt Carroll, assistant county executive officer, said it’s never a complete surprise when a public safety official decides to retire after more than 30 years of service. Carroll said Roper mentioned retirement as a possibility when he told officials about his intention to run for supervisor.
Carroll said the Ventura County Board of Supervisors is responsible for selecting a new fire chief, and county Executive Officer Mike Powers will be working with the panel to determine what kind of search to conduct.
Carroll called Roper a “consensus builder” with a unique ability to work with many entities.
“He’s just a straight shooter and a great collaborator and partner,” Carroll said.
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