Feb. 28—MISSION — Four months after the resignation of former Fire Chief Adrian Garcia, the city of oranges has found its new permanent fire chief in Mike Silva.
Silva, who served as the president of the firefighter’s union for many years, took the oath of office during a well-attended celebration at Mission City Hall on Thursday evening.
State Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission, administered the oath of office to Silva, who stood surrounded by his wife, Christina, and their three daughters.
Afterward, he took a brief moment to express his appreciation to the Mission City Council for placing their faith in him.
“Mayor and city council, I just want to give you great thanks (for) the support that you have given me throughout these months, as I entered (as) interim fire chief in November,” Silva said, adding that he had been “ecstatic” to see how the Mission Fire Department’s future would unfold.
“We have made great strides working with management, with this council,” Silva said.
The new fire chief then turned his attention to the firefighters he will lead in the department’s new era.
“The men and women that we have besides us, behind me, are family. Our ultimate goal at the very end is everyone goes home,” Silva said.
Afterward, each member of the council took a moment to express their own optimism for the department’s future.
Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza thanked Silva “for stepping up and taking on this responsibility,” and lauded him for his “hands-on” approach to leadership.
The mayor also thanked Silva’s family and, in particular, Silva’s daughters.
“Thank you for lending us your daddy,” Gonzalez Garza said.
Place 1 Councilwoman Jessica Ortega called the council’s decision to select Silva as the fire chief “easy for all of us here,” while Place 3 Councilwoman Marissa Ortega Gerlach called him “the perfect person we could have chosen for this position.”
Place 2 Councilman Ruben Plata noted the multiple meetings he’s had with Silva and said “I know you’re going to continue doing a great job.”
The city council appointed Silva as interim fire chief on Nov. 4 after the abrupt departure of former chief Adrian Garcia.
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Previously, Silva had served as a lieutenant with two decades of service within the department.
For many years, Silva also served as the leader of the Mission Fire Fighters Association, #3609, the union that represents the majority of the department’s non-leadership personnel.
The union’s relationship with the department could be fraught at times, especially during periods when the two undertook labor negotiations.
But, under Silva’s union leadership, the Mission Fire Department began to push for creating a city-run ambulance service.
That effort came to fruition in January 2024 when Mission officials announced the city was officially moving EMS service in-house and severing ties with MedCare EMS, the private ambulance company that had previously provided emergency medical transportation for the city.
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