Captain Evan Skei Honored for Service

On June 4, Montecito Fire Chief Brian Fallon honored Captain Evan Skei for his 25 years of dedicated service to Montecito Fire and our town. Attending the presentation was Skei’s family. 

Of note, Skei has been in the Montecito Journal’s Our Town section since 2002 for various work in the community– from instructing kids on fire safety to adults on CPR, to the La Conchita mudslide in 2005, the Montecito Debris Flow, the Thomas Fire, and more – while also leading his teams on the various missions at hand.

Skei has said in prior interviews, “One of the coolest things about being a captain is facilitating other people in doing their job and helping them to be successful in helping our community.”

On his 20^th year of service at MFD, they posted his bio as follows: “Evan grew up in Thousand Oaks and moved to Santa Barbara to attend Santa Barbara City College. He considered pursuing graphic design or law, but an EMT class & memorable ride-along changed the trajectory of his career. Evan went on to complete paramedic school and worked for AMR Santa Barbara for three years. He was also working as a lifeguard for the City of Santa Barbara. He loved helping people and was eager to find a full-time job that allowed him to serve others. 

“In 2001, he joined Montecito Fire as a firefighter/paramedic. Evan was promoted to engineer in 2010 & captain in 2013. Evan represents Montecito Fire on the Regional Urban Search & Rescue task force. As a USAR member, he responded to the La Conchita landslide in 2005 where he owned a home. The loss of two close friends and the devastation of his small community ultimately led Evan to step up as a Peer Support team member for Montecito Fire after the 1/9 Debris Flow.” 

Skei adding, “It’s been amazing to see the culture change in the fire service where mental health is accepted & prioritized. Part of the Peer Support mission is to demystify the trauma people take on from difficult calls and provide a conduit to talk through that with your peers. Besides running calls and helping our community, being involved with Peer Support is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.”

Evan’s peers admire his comforting kindness to all patients, amazing sense of humor & his artistic abilities! He’s offered up his caricature drawing skills multiple times!

Evan lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Briana, son Reed and daughters Victoria and Olivia. He spends days off attending his kids’ sporting events and restoring his dad’s vintage Lotus Elan. He also enjoys riding motorcycles, surfing, and playing guitar.

Captain Skei was presented with the MFD 25-year service pin to wear on his badge in recognition of this milestone. Fallon stating, “Congratulations, Captain Skei, and thank you for your commitment and service. We also extend our sincere thanks to his family for their support and for joining us in celebrating this special occasion.”