Fire Chiefs
The League of California Cities Fire Chiefs Department works to improve municipal fire service by protecting local control, advancing educational opportunities, and framing issues impacting cities with a fire chief’s perspective. Members of this department include fire chiefs of municipal fire departments, or agencies, authorities, or districts that serve cities, and all fire chief officers who are interested in advancing their leadership skill set and developing a professional network are invited to participate.
Subscribe to the Fire Chiefs Listserv to receive the latest updates and information.
Each year, the Fire Chiefs Department elects officers to oversee the work of the department and represent the department on the Cal Cities board of directors and other Cal Cities policy committees. Fire Chiefs who are interested in pursuing a leadership role with Cal Cities should contact Meghan McKelvey.
2023-2024 Department Officers
President - Adam Loeser, Fire Chief, Fullerton
First Vice President - Chris Nigg, Fire Chief, La Verne
Second Vice President - Bernard Molloy, Fire Chief, Murrieta
Director - Dan Stefano, Fire Chief, Costa Mesa
Past President - Alexander Hamilton, Fire Chief, Oxnard
*Terms are for one year, ending in September, except the director who serves a two-year term.
Appointed by the department president, each department has at least one representative on each of Cal Cities' standing seven policy committees that can provide technical information to the committee as a whole to ensure that the department has a voice in the decision-making process, and make recommendations to the board of directors on legislative and policy issues.
- Community Services – James Boito, Fire Chief, Albany
- Environmental Quality – Jerrod Vanlandingham, Fire Chief, Redding
- Governance, Transparency, and Labor Relations – Jeremy Ray, Deputy Fire Chief, Santa Clara
- Housing, Community, and Economic Development – Jon Fugitt, Deputy Chief- Administration/Fire Marshal, Fullerton
- Public Safety – Mike Calderwood, Fire Chief, Carlsbad
- Revenue and Taxation – Brian McDonough, Battalion Chief, Newport Beach
- Transportation, Communications, and Public Works – Joseph Bernal, Fire Chief, El Centro
For more information about the appointment process, please contact Meg Desmond.
- California Fire Chiefs Association
- California State Firefighters Association
- Fire Districts Association of California
- California Professional Firefighters
- National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training Program
Regulatory working groups, task forces, and committees
- Appointee - Chief Greg Barton, Beverly Hills Fire Department
- Alternate Appointee - TBD
Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar
December 11-12, 2024
The Meritage
875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA
Designed for fire service leaders including, but not limited to, fire chiefs, chief officers, and union leadership, this seminar provides sessions on topics such as leadership, succession planning, labor relations, emergency response, late-breaking changes in EMS, and more.
For registration questions, please contact Registrar, Megan Dunn.
For sponsorship questions, please contact Associate Manager, Exposition Sales and Event Sponsors, Amy Wade.
For additional questions, please contact Associate Manager, Erin Wylder.
Seminar Information
Click here to view the 2023 Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar program.
2023 Session Materials
- Fire Hazard Mapping
- Legislation Updates
- Righting the Ship and Thriving in Leadership
- Sleep Hygiene and Why Its Important
- Statewide EMS Updates and PP-GEMT
- The Catalyst
- What Fire Chiefs Need to Know About Finance Today
- Workers Comp Perspectives
Previous Seminar Session Materials
- 2022 Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar Program
- 2022 Fire Chiefs Reception Flyer
- Speaker Bios
- Cal Cities Legislative Update - Noack
- Difficult Conversations Way to Bypass Conflict
- Inclusion, Equity, & Diversity Effective Tools for Succession Management
- Using a Coaching Mindset to Increase Fire Team Performance - Coyle
- Creating Resilient and Brain-Healthy Fire Departments
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity In the Fire Service: Navigating And Implementing Strategies For Chiefs
- Recruiting, Hiring, and Promoting the Right People for Your Agency
- The Set-Up Of Successful Leadership 2.0
- Understanding the Legislative Process - Dolfie
Contact Staff
Meghan McKelvey
Department and Member Services Senior Manager
(916) 658-8253
Isaac Black
Administrative Associate, Member Services
Jolena Voorhis
Legislative Affairs, Lobbyist, Public Safety
916-658-8252