Petaluma selects interim fire chief

The city of Petaluma has selected Leonard Thompson to serve as its interim fire chief as it conducts a search for a permanent replacement for Larry Anderson, who retires Tuesday after seven years at the helm.

Thompson retired in 2010 from the Los Angeles Fire Department, where he worked for 35 years and reached the position of deputy chief.

Thompson, 65, has been a resident of San Rafael since 2010 and serves as a member of that city’s fire commission, where he has helped form a nonprofit foundation to provide financial support to the department.

He will begin his job Monday and it is expected to last up to six months to give the city sufficient time to find a replacement for Anderson.