Orange County Fire Authority Chief announces retirement

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Orange County Fire Authority Chief Keith Richter announced on Tuesday that he will retire on Aug. 29, just weeks after a report found low morale and a lack of leadership within the department.

His retirement date will mark Richter's 37th anniversary with the fire service. In a memo to OCFA personnel, Richter said, "It is the right time for me to turn over the leadership of the OCFA to a fire chief chosen by our current board."

"I have always attempted to provide direction based on the best information I can gather. From my perspective, the OCFA is now positioned well for a sustainable future," Richter said in the memo.

He says he made the decision to step down because "recent controversies have placed me in a position of being a distraction for the issues facing the OCFA."

In the past two years, the Fire Authority found it billed more than $1.7 million for inspections that were not done or could not be verified. Officials also learned that firefighters had disabled seat belt alarms in several trucks and engines.

OCFA Board Chairman Steven Weinberg said a committee will be formed immediately to begin the process to select the next chief.

"Chief Richter has spent his life in public service, keeping homes and families safe and responding in times of emergency," Weinberg said in a statement. "We thank him for his service and will begin a search for our next chief as soon as possible."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.