The Fire Chief's of Contra Costa County 

By Alan E. Nielsen Sr. Communications Manager, Contra Costa County Fire [Retired]

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Introduction:

I have been involved with the Fire Service Community for several years in Contra Costa County, California. I have put together this list of present and former fire chiefs in the various fire districts or departments of Contra Costa County. My sources of information are by searching the web and using material I have found or just first hand information.

Antioch Fire Department 

George Stamm                               
Charles Sweeney         1930 to 1949
John Gragnelli          1949 to 1971
Ed Cavalli              1971 to 197
5
Antioch Fire Department merged with Pittsburg Fire Department and became Riverview Fire Protection District on July 1, 1975

Bay Point Fire Protection District

Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire in 1969

Bethel Island Fire Protection District 

Floyd Mathers           1950 to 1952
Richard Cunningham      1952 to
Jack Whitener

Dave Wahl               xx/1984 to 11/2002

Merged with East Diablo & Oakley Fire to form East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District in November of 2002  

Brentwood Fire Protection District           

Clyde Watson            1928 to
Warren Wristen
Paul Hein

Merged with Eastern Fire Protection District on November 1, 1984 to form the East Diablo Fire Protection District

Briones Fire Protection District 

Frank Pereira           1951 to 1960
Henry Duarte            1960 to 1966
Frank Nunes             1966 to 10/1971
 
Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District on 11//01/1971 

Byron Fire Protection District 

Stanley Pereria              to 1968
Nick Papadakos          1968 to 1991

Annexed to the East Diablo Fire Protection District in 1991

Central Fire Protection District 

Ray "Guy" Spencer       1923 to 1954
Bill Nottingham         1954 to
Albert V. Struelli           to 12/28/1964
 
Merged with Mt Diablo Fire Protection District to become Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 12/29/1964

Concord Hook & Ladder Company No. 1

A. M. Matheson               to 1924
Allan W. Vargus         1924 to 1929
Concord Fire Department merged with Mt Diablo Fire District in 1929

 

Concord Naval Weapons Station Fire Department

Larry Reposa                        (1989)         
Raymond Gilmore                     (1992)

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 

Formed from Merger of Central Fire Protection District and Mt Diablo Fire Protection District December 29, 1964
Ray Mangini             12/29/1964 to 09/30/1965 Co-Chief
A.V. "Bud" Streuli      12/29/1964 to 09/30/1965 Co-Chief
A.V. "Bud" Streuli      10/01/1965 to 03/28/1980
W
illiam F. Maxfield     04/01/1980 to 03/30/1993 [Deceased Jan 8, 2017]
Allen Little            03/28/1993 to 10/24/1994 Acting
Allen Little            10/25/1994 to 03/31/1998
Scott Tandy             04/01/1998 to 05/03/1998 Interim Acting
Keith Richter
          05/04/1998 to 08/01/2009
John Ross               08/01/2009 to 06/01/2010 Interim Acting

Daryl Louder            06/01/2010 to 10/31/2013
Jeff Carman             10/21/2013 to 03/31/2019
Lewis Broschard         04/01/2019 to Present
       

Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District

Gerald C. Littleton Sr                       [Deceased 2001]
Gerald C. Littleton Jr
             to Present

Danville Fire Protection District 

Oscar Ollsson           1922 to 1925
H.M Fitchenmueller      1925 to 1947
Dwayne Elliot           1947 to 1961
W Van Limburgh           1961 to 1961
Forest Wilson           1963 to 1965
Michael Blodgett        1965 to 03/1980

Merged with San Ramon Fire to become San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District on 03/18/1980

Dougherty Regional Fire Authority

Harold Ritter           1989

East Bay Regional Parks District

Joseph Rubini                to 2001
Dennis Rein             2001 to 2006
Ken Bionski             2006 to Present

East Diablo Fire Protection District 

Formed from merger of Eastern Fire Protection District and Brentwood Fire Protection District in 1984

Ray Morgan  
           [12 yrs][died 4/28/1986]
Paul Hein               (1989)]to 08/2000

Mark McCullah           08/2000 to 04/2002 [Contra Costa County Fire District Designee]

Became part of the new East Contra Costa County Fire protection District in November of 2002         

East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

Formed 11/2002 by merger of East Diablo Fire Protection District, Bethel Island Fire Protection District and Oakley Fire Protection District

Mark McCullah           06/2002                  Transition Team representing East Diablo Fire Protection District
Bob Pastor              06/2002                  Transition Team representing Oakley Fire Protection District
Dave Wahl               06/2002                  Transition Team representing Bethel Island Fire Protection District
Hugh Henderson          11/2002 to 05/2003       Iterim Fire Chief
Doug Dawson             05/2003 to 06/2006       Resigned
William Weisgerber      07/2006 to 01/2008       Interim Fire Chief
Hugh Henderson          01/2008 to 08/2010       Interim Fire Chief

Hugh Henderson          08/2010 to 03/30/2017    Fire Chief
Brian Hemlick           04/01/2017 to Present    Interim Fire Chief

Eastern Fire Protection District 

Gerould "Gerry" Gill   
Al Baitx                19xx-1968
Ray Morgan              1968-1984 [Died 4/28/1986]

Merged with Brentwood Fire Protection District on November 1, 1984 to form the East Diablo Fire Protection District

 
El Cerrito Fire Department 

Pete Barraza                  to 12/1990        Retired
Steve Cutright 
         1991 to 1999           Went to Emeryville Fire Department
Mark Scott               1999 to 2006           Retired
Lance Maples
             05/2007 to 12/30/2018
Michael Pigoni           12/31/2018 to Present

El Sobrante Fire Protection District 

Charles Mattson         1944 to xxxx
Bill Helm               xxxx to 06/1977
 
Renamed West County Fire 07/01/1977 

 

Federal Fire Department

Lawrence Bach    [2005]
George Day       [2008]

Kensington Fire District 

Sam L Treese Jr                   (1992)

Lafayette Fire Protection District 

Louis Starks            1918 to 1936
Ed Morrison
             1936 to
Shirley Peaks           1946 to 1959
Ray Winkle              1959 to 12/1968
Ed Allen                12/1968 to 12/1968  Acting
Annexed To Contra Costa County Fire Protection District on Jan 1, 1969

 Martinez Fire Department 

L.C. Wittenmeyer        1860 to  xxxx
John Briones            xxxx to 1903
Fred Kaiser             1903 to 1943
Clarence Viera          1943 to 06/1968 Retired
Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District July 1, 1968

Moraga Fire Protection Distric

Donald Skinner          09/1968 to xx/1986
Edward L. Lucas         xx/1986 to xx/1992 [Died 6/12/2012]
John Cooper             xx/1992 to 03/1993 Acting
Allen Little            04/1993 to 07/1997 Acting
 
Merged with Orinda 07/01/1997 

Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District 

         Formed by merge of Moraga & Orinda Fire Protection Districts on 07/01/1997 

Mel Deardorf            07/1997 to 02/1998      Acting Fire Chief
Jim Johnston            02/1998 to 03/2006
Jim Johnston            04/2006 to 09/2006      Interim Fire Chief

Peter Nowicki           09/2006 to 01/2009

Peter Nowicki           01/2009 to 10/2009      Interim Fire Chief

Randall Bradley         11/2009 to 07/2013      Went to Modesto Regional Fire Authority
Stephen Healey          07/2013 to 09/2017      Fire Chief
Dave Winnecker          11/2017 to Present      Fire Chief
 

Mountain View Fire Protection District 

Rudy Knieriem           1945-to 11/1966 [Died Dec 1977]
Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 12/01/1966 

Mount Diablo Fire Protection District 

Allan W. Vargas         1929 to 1956   Was chief of Concord City Fire when Mt Diablo FPD was formed in 1925
Ray Mangini             1956 to 12/1964
Merged with Central Fire Protection District to become Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 12/29/1964 

Oakley Fire Protection District 
Anthony Dal Porto      06/xx/1938 to 06/xx/1942
Frank Dal Porto        06/xx/1942 to 06/xx/1952

Carl Gott              06/xx/1952 to 06/xx/1974
Joe Tovar
              06/xx/1974 to 06/30/1994
Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 07/01/1994
Recreated as Oaklay Fire Protection District 01/01/1999
Bob Pastor             01/01/1999 to 11/xx/2000 [Deceased Nov 15, 2015]


Orinda Fire Protection District 

Edward Jensen           1923-xxxx]
Al Winsor               1960 to 1970
David Evans             1970 to 1992]                  
Allen Little            1993 to 07/1997 Acting
Merged with Moraga Fire Protection District on 07/01/1997      

Pinole Fire Department 

Chief Lindner
Harry Williams
Joseph Rogers
Leslie Silver
Jack Nightengale
Wallace Martin          xxxx to xxxx
Alex Clark        

Mike Radcliffe          xxxx to 1997      (1986)
Jim Parrot              1997 to 2011
Charles Hanley          2010 to 07/2013
Carlos Rodriguez     07/2013 to 12/2013   [Interim Chief]
Robert Piper         01/2014 to Present              
 

Pittsburg Fire Department 

Charles Sellick
Charles Scudero         1901 to 1936
Horace "Shad" Enea      1960 to 1975
                                                                         
Merged with Antioch to form the Riverview Fire District 07/01/1975 

Richmond Fire Department 

John Murray             1901 to
Charles
  Schwab          14 yrs
Floyd Cormier           xxxx to 1995
Afford Nero             1996 to 1999           Fire Chief

Joseph Robinson         1999 to 5/2000         Interim Fire Chief
Joseph Robinson         5/2000 to 3/2004       Fire Chief
Richard Giaramita       3/2004 to 4/2004       Acting Fire Chief

Michael Banks           4/2004 to 10/2006      Interim Chief
Michael Banks           10/2006 to 12/30/2014  Fire Chief
Adrian Sheppard         12/31/2014 to Present  Fire Chief

Riverview Fire Protection District       

Fred Golinveaux         07/01/1975 to 07/31/1978         [Died 09/27/2001]
Vince Aiello            09/01/1978 to 04/17/1979 Acting
Vince Aiello            04/18/1979 to 03/28/1986
                        
04/01/1986 to 06/17/1986 Acting
Allen Little            06/18/1986 to 06/30/1994 Became Chief of Contra Costa County upon annexation
 
Annexed to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District 07/01/1994 

Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District

Frank Delmonte          1920-
Sam Kramer
Tom Lewis
E. Gomez
Lloyd Cooper            1937 to 1965
Arthur G. Cooper 
      1965 to 1977  [Died 9/29/1997]
Pedro Jimenez           1977 to 1997?
Dennis Salmi
Gary Bowles             06/18/2001 to
Alan Biagi              08/2009 to 12/2010

Charles Hanley          12/2010 to 4/30/2017 [Retired]
Bryan Craig             5/1/2017 to Present

San Pablo Fire Protection District 

Manny Mello 

San Ramon Fire Protection District 

William J. Fereira      1963 to 1978 [Deceased 4/9/2010]
Richard Schuller        1978 to xxxx
Roy Asmundsen           xxxx to 1980
  [Deceased 6/2/2011]

Merged with Danville Fire Protection District to for San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District on 03/18/1980

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District 

Michael Blodgett        03/1980 to
Mel Deardof
             1988 to 03/1996
Bill Dutcher            1996 to 1999
Richard Probert         1999 to 2002
Craig Bowen             2002 to 03/28/2008 [Retired]          
Richard Price           07/25/2008 to
01/11/2012 [Retired] 
Richard Price           01/11/2012 to 12/31/2012 [Retired]
Jack Barton             01/01/2013 to 03/17/2013 [Interim]
Paige Meyer             03/18/2013 to Present

Tassajara Fire Protection District 

Warren L. Reinstein Sr.  1970-1979 [Died 2/28/1979]
Steve Eppler             1979-1991

Merged with San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
 

Valley Community Services District and Dublin-San Ramon Services District

Phillip Phillips         1960-1985 

West County Fire Protection District 

Bill Helm                07/01/1977 to
William Maxfield         1992/10/01 to 1993/03/30]
Allen Little             

Revised March 10, 2017