Sarasota County appoints permanent fire chief

Interim Sarasota County Fire Chief Mike Regnier has accepted an offer to take the permanent job, after about a year in his current position and more than 27 years with the department.

"Mike has done a great job as the Interim Fire Chief over the past year and his leadership has been a stabilizing force during the recruitment and hiring of the Emergency Services Director and now the filling of the Fire Chief vacancy," said County Administrator Tom Harmer in an email to commissioners. "I am excited to announce his selection and look forward to working with him in his new role on the County’s Management Team."

Regnier will oversee more than 500 firefighters, emergency management technicians and paramedics, according to a news release.

"I'm honored to continue to work with the men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department and to serve the community in this permanent role," Regnier said in the release. "We have a great team, and I'm looking forward to being a part of moving the department forward in the future."