San Diego’s longtime lifeguard chief, James Gartland, is no longer a city employee, ending a tenure that placed him at the center of the city’s beach and water safety operations for years.
City officials confirmed Gartland’s departure but have not said why he is no longer with the city. Because it is a personnel matter, officials have declined to provide further details about the circumstances surrounding his exit.
The leadership change took effect immediately, with Deputy Fire Chief Dan Eddy stepping in as interim chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Lifeguard Division.
Eddy oversees emergency and special operations for San Diego Fire-Rescue, responsibilities that include the Lifeguard Division. Fire Chief Robert Logan notified department personnel of the change and said the division’s existing organizational structure, assignments and operational responsibilities would remain in place.
Gartland had served as lifeguard chief since 2018, after spending more than three decades with the department. His career with San Diego’s lifeguard operation began long before he took its top leadership position, including years working in marine safety.
The city had selected Gartland to permanently lead the Lifeguard Division in 2018 after he spent about six months serving as interim chief. At the time, he had already spent more than two decades protecting San Diego’s beaches and waterways.
During his years as chief, Gartland was frequently involved in public water-safety campaigns, particularly around major holidays when large crowds gather along San Diego’s beaches and bays. The city’s lifeguards patrol more than 40 miles of oceanfront and bay shoreline and handle thousands of rescues and other emergency responses each year.
His departure became noticeable during a recent mass-rescue training exercise off Point Loma, where lifeguards were practicing the kind of coordinated response required during major incidents in the water.
Gartland’s family said the sudden change has been difficult to understand. His son, West, said the situation has been “shocking and confusing” for the family and indicated that he hoped more could be explained later.
The San Diego City Attorney’s Office has declined to comment on Gartland’s departure. The County District Attorney’s Office also has not confirmed whether any investigation involving Gartland exists.
For now, the city’s lifeguard operations will continue under Eddy’s interim leadership. Officials have indicated that the division’s current assignments and operational responsibilities will remain unchanged during the transition.
Gartland’s departure closes a long chapter for one of San Diego’s most visible public-safety divisions, while the city moves forward with an interim leader and questions remain about what led to the change.
