The city of Manhattan Beach has appointed Michael E. Lang, currently the fire chief in Arcadia, as the city's new fire chief. 

“I am humbled and honored to be trusted with the responsibility of leading the Manhattan Beach Fire Department,” said Lang. “I am grateful for the support of the city manager and City Council and their confidence in my ability to maintain the highest standards of excellence and professionalism that the Manhattan Beach Fire Department exemplifies.” 

Lang has served the city of Arcadia for 21 years, moving his way up through the ranks from a firefighter/paramedic, fire captain, battalion chief and deputy fire chief before his appointment to fire chief in 2016. In his time at the city of Arcadia, Chief Lang led a team of 60 personnel overseeing all fire operations including administration, training, fire prevention, emergency response and fire suppression.

Previously, Lang served the San Bernardino County Fire Department for four years. He has a bachelor's degree in Occupational Studies from the California State University, Long Beach and a certificate in Executive Leadership from the University of Southern California. Over the course of his career, he has focused on demonstrating the value of a community-centered, metric-driven organization while fostering a healthy and productive labor-management relationship.

“Chief Lang has had an exemplary fire service career with a demonstrated ability to lead a full-service fire department. I look forward to working with him to build upon our outstanding fire services,” said Manhattan Beach City Manager Bruce Moe.

Prior to the appointment of Lang, Wolfgang Knabe has served as the city’s interim fire chief for the past ten months. “I would like to thank Interim Chief Knabe for leading the department during the COVID-19 pandemic and his efforts to promote positive community and labor-management relations,” said City Manager Moe.

Lang’s first day as fire chief will be June 21. Manhattan Beach Fire Marshal Tim O’Brien will serve as acting fire chief between June 4 and June 20, 2021.