Another fire chief parts ways with the city of Victorville. It's the 7th change in 5 years

After only three months in the role, Victorville Fire Department Chief David Foster is no longer employed at the city-operated fire agency.

In March, the city announced the hiring of Foster, who had more than 40 years of fire service experience. He stepped into his new role on April 3.

City spokeswoman Sue Jones did not provide a reason for Foster’s departure, saying, “We never discuss the reason for a separation in employment as it is a personnel matter, and we are required to respect the employee’s personal privacy rights.”

Chief Foster’s last day was June 27, with Deputy Chief Bobby Clemmer briefly taking the lead of the fire department until former interim Chief William “Willie” Racowschi resumed command of the VFD on Wednesday, July 5, Jones said.

“Willie served as our interim fire chief from January to April and was a terrific fit for our fire department,” said Jones, who added that the permanent fire chief position will be open until filled.

The next fire chief hired will be Victorville’s seventh leader in nearly five years.

Foster comes to Victorville

After Foster was hired, Victorville City Manager Keith Metzler said, “We selected David because of his breadth and depth of experience leading both large and small fire departments.”

Metzler added that “We are confident David is the right person to lead Victorville Fire through the next phase of its development as a relatively new fire department.”

Foster was the city’s sixth fire chief since April 2018, when former chief Greg Benson was first hired for the position.

Foster's fire service experience included the last two decades serving as chief of the Village Fire Department in Houston, Texas.

Before Houston, Foster was the fire chief for the Dekalb County Fire Department, which serves a population of more than one million people in the Atlanta metro area.

Revolving door continues

Foster assumed command from Interim Fire Chief Racowschi, who has served the department since December 2022.

Racowschi is a retired Torrance fire chief with 35 years of experience. He has proven skill in emergency management, safety, tactical response, technical rescue, communication, administrative management, recruitment, and training, Jones said.

Racowschi replaced outgoing Chief Brian Fallon, who was appointed chief of the Lompoc City Fire Department on the Central Coast, the Daily Press reported.

In June 2022, then-VFD Battalion Chief Fallon was promoted to fire chief, taking over for Fire Chief Jeff Armstrong, who announced his resignation in May of that year.

Fallon joined the VFD in Sept. 2021 after 16 years with the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department, where he progressed through the ranks.

About 16 months after accepting the position, VFD Chief Jeff Armstrong in May 2022 announced his resignation. He was replaced by Chief Fallon.

In a letter to Victorville City Manager Keith Metzler, Armstrong said, “After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from my position as Fire Chief with the City of Victorville and pursue other opportunities.”

Armstrong added that ultimately his decision “results from an evaluation of organizational ‘fit’ and leadership styles.”

Armstrong replaced former Chief John Becker, who “abruptly retired after the city council decided to contract with San Bernardino County for fire services” on May 13, 2008, the Daily Press reported.

Becker was first appointed to head Victorville Fire after the sudden departure of Chief Greg Benson in August 2020.

During that time, Jones told the Daily Press that Benson gave his resignation. She did not provide a reason for his departure, saying her response was limited because the matter was related to human resources.

The Victorville Fire Department is one of the busiest departments in the county and the nation, according to city officials. The department also ranks among the top 6% of the nation’s fire departments having recently received a Class 2 ISO rating.

Chief Foster

During his career, Foster also assisted with the development of a new fire department in the Omaha, Nebraska area. The department became operational within 30 days and was given federal awards of merit, according to the City of Victorville.

After he was hired by Victorville, Foster said, “Very rarely do fire chiefs get the chance to be part of building a new fire department.

“I look forward to helping Victorville Fire progress to the next level,” Foster said. “I’m very excited for this opportunity and look forward to serving with the men and women of the department to provide safety services for the Victorville community.”

Foster's experience includes operations and command levels in fire suppression and prevention, emergency medical services, advanced life support and transport, emergency response management, and hazardous materials. 

Foster was born and raised in Burbank. He first joined the fire service as a firefighter in the Air Force, where he served for four years. His first civilian fire experience was as a firefighter in Palmdale.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Another fire chief parts ways with the city of Victorville