Appointment of Steve Mahoney as Cal EMA Deputy Fire Chief of Fleet Services
By: Kim Zagaris, Chief, Fire & Rescue
I am happy to announce the appointment of Chief Steve Mahoney as the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) Deputy Fire Chief of Fleet Services. Chief Mahoney's previous assignment was with the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety, Emergency Planning Management Unit. His new assignment starts February 1, 2010.
Chief Mahoney will manage the Cal EMA Fire and Rescue Fleet Services section, including coordination and management of the Cal EMA Fire and Rescue Fleet of 129 engines, 12 water tenders, 13 Swifter Water Caches, 18 Rescue System II Trailers, 6 Communication/ Support Units, and 20 additional support apparatus that are deployed during statewide major emergencies and other disasters.
Chief Mahoney has 23 years in the fire service and 28 years of state service. He started his fire service career in Amador County as a firefighter, while earning an EMT certificate and a degree in fire science. In 1990 he was promoted to fire Captain and then in 1993 he was promoted to Fire Chief for Jackson Valley Fire Protection District for the next eight years. During that time he was able to work with Board of Directors and the department to obtain 4 new fire apparatus, implement the state required Injury and Illness Prevention Program, and a fire training program. He also worked with the Amador County Board of Supervisors to implement an impact fee for new construction and initiate a parcel fee for residential lots on the local voting ballot. The measure passed and the district budget almost tripled overnight. Chief Mahoney had the opportunity to sit on the Amador County Chiefs Association and regional training officers association to help implement changes in the county. He received the Haz-Mat incident command certification in 1998.
In 2001 he accepted a Chief position with California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in San Luis Obispo County. During his assignment there, he worked with CSTI as part of the Haz-Mat training program and also obtained his ICS 400 certification. At that time the institution had the only Haz-Mat response unit in the county. This unit included a Decon corridor as well as monitoring and entry equipment up to level A. Because of the location of the institution, Steve was able to work with CAL FIRE/County Fire dispatch and have the (CDCR) station included in the CAD for automatic aid. CDCR also worked with Southern Pacific Railroad and participated in Ammonia and Radiation response training.
In 2004 he transferred back to Amador County as Fire Chief at Mule Creek State Prison. During that time he was able to upgrade two fire apparatus through the State Assistance for Fire Equipment, while also obtaining a donated fire engine from Sac-Metro Fire, and put together a vehicle for Haz-Mat response within the county.
In 2007 he was promoted to the Fire Chief at CDCR headquarters, with oversight responsibility of 25 institutional fire stations statewide. This assignment allowed Steve to work on statewide CDCR fire and rescue programs while also working on many statewide fire service issues. He put together an equipment replacement plan based on a ten year schedule, statewide training programs, and strike team deployment through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System and Cal EMA to assist in fighting the large fires in the state. Chief Mahoney was also responsible for performing building inspections in the CDCR headquarters buildings to maintain compliance with the State Fire Marshal guidelines, and serve as the liaison with all other agencies during emergencies. He has been involved with the golden guardian exercise and the H1N1 flu virus. Both required the standing up of the Department Operations Center at CDCR headquarters.
Chief Mahoney's expertise working within CDCR and California Fire Service will enhance our ability to serve the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System. Chief Mahoney can be reach at (916) 845-8711.