Fire Services Act Section 18

[Meghan Beas]

HistoricallyAFSS has served as a resource network for fire service administrative professionals. In 1985, an information group of new Fire Chiefs gathered to discuss the meaning of that position and the assumption of authority in a formal organization. They decided to form an informal group to act as a sounding board for each other. In 1986, their secretaries were invited to attend a meeting and, as a result, many of those attending discussed the idea of forming a networking group of their own. In 1988, the framework of the current formal organization was begun. By-Laws were written and adopted and the first Executive Board was elected.

In 1989, the Administrative Fire Services Section (AFSS) was officially recognized as a section of the California Fire Chiefs Association, and a vast professional networking nucleus was formed for all fire administrative support personnel.

Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards have a long-standing tradition of being one of the top ocean lifeguarding agencies in the world. Learn the steps of how to become a Los Angeles County lifeguard.

DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF CENTRAL REGIONAL OPERATIONS BUREAURobert HarrisDeputy Fire Chief Robert Harris started his career at the age of 19 after he was appointed reserve firefighter with the City of Montebello Fire Department.

Chief Harris began his service with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department on May 8, 1992. During his tenure with the Department, he has promoted through the ranks from Firefighter, Fire Fighter Paramedic, Fire Inspector, Fire Fighter Specialist, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, Acting Deputy Fire Chief, and Deputy Fire Chief, Central Regional Operations Bureau, effective June 1, 2024.

Over the years, Chief Harris has attended Dillard University (New Orleans), the University of Southern California, Long Beach Community College, and Compton Community College. Chief Harris is a graduate of Columbia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration.

Fire ChiefAnthony C. MarroneFire Chief Anthony C. Marrone has been a member of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department for 38 years and a chief officer for the past 26 years. Prior to his appointment by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors as the tenth Fire Chief and Forester and Fire Warden, Chief Marrone served as the Interim Fire Chief.

ACTING DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF CENTRAL REGIONAL OPERATIONS BUREAUWilliam L. MayfieldDeputy Fire Chief William L. Mayfield Jr. is a 35-year veteran of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD). He began his fire service career in 1988. He has held the ranks of firefighter, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant fire chief, and deputy fire chief.

Chief Mayfield currently manages the Training and Emergency Medical Services Bureau. Emergency medical services is responsible for paramedic training, certification, equipment, quality improvement, and legal aspects for all basic and advanced emergency medical services provided by the LACoFD. Training Services is responsible for training all new firefighters and conducting ongoing in-service training sessions for all members. Training Services develops training materials, organizes classes and training programs for recruits and refresher courses for other Department personnel.

ACTING DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF SPECIAL SERVICES BUREAUMichael R InmanDeputy Fire Chief Mike Inman has worked as a fire service professional for over 40 years. Chief Inman started his career in 1983, as a reserve firefighter with the Monterey Park Fire Department. In 1986, he was hired as a firefighter with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) and has promoted through the ranks as a firefighter paramedic, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief.

In November 2023, Chief Inman was assigned to the East Regional Operations Bureau and was officially promoted to deputy fire chief on March 1, 2024. In this role, he led and managed four divisions with 1,400 personnel, 10 battalions, and 76 fire stations serving 34 cities.

Well versed in emergency management, Chief Inman became a pioneer in the urban search and rescue program that included several national deployments. For over 23 years, he has held various incident command system positions as part of the United States Forest Service Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) and served as the operations section chief and operations branch director with the Cal Fire Type 1 IMT. Since 1998, Chief Inman has served in various capacities on the LACoFD Incident Management Teams.

Chief Inman is a certified California State Fire Marshal Chief Officer, and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Development Program and Public Safety Leadership Program at the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy. He teaches FEMA and California Incident Command Certification System (CICCS) courses and is a qualified incident commander, operations section chief, safety officer, and division supervisor.

Deputy Fire Chief/North Regional Operations BureauDennis BreshearsDeputy Fire Chief Dennis Breshears started his fire service career at the age of 23 after he was appointed to the Monrovia Fire Department on February 24, 1994. Chief Breshears then accepted a position with the Orange County Fire Authority in 1999 and began his service with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) in December 2000.

Chief Breshears steadily promoted through the ranks from firefighter, firefighter paramedic, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant fire chief, and deputy fire chief on December 16, 2021.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and restoring classic cars. While he is very proud of his profession, he considers being a father to three amazing daughters as his greatest accomplishment in life.

DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUREAUJulia KimJulia Kim began her employment with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department in January 2015, and has served in the Professional Performance Section, Employee Relations Division, Risk Management Division, and most recently, the Human Resources Division.

Chief Barrera joined the Fire Department in 2004 and served as the Assistant Chief and Chief of the Financial Management Division. In 2022, Chief Barrera was appointed as Deputy Fire Chief of the Administrative Bureau and worked closely with internal and external stakeholders to improve standard business practices, ensure administrative and fiscal compliance, and foster a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. In 2023, Chief Barrera was appointed as the Chief Deputy of Business Operations.

From her college apartment, she watched Los Angeles burn and was impressed with the fire engines and tiller trucks racing across the city to extinguish the fires. She decided then and there to become a firefighter.

By 1996, Chief Pappas earned her paramedic license from Daniel Freeman Paramedic School in Inglewood. She then worked as an EMT for Goodhew Ambulance where she ran 9-1-1 calls with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD).

She has worked in all three regional operations bureaus and in all 22 operations battalions. Since her promotion as a chief officer in September 2012, Chief Pappas has spent three years as the co-chairperson of the Equipment Development Committee and also managed the Department-wide implementation of the electronic patient care reporting (ePCR) system. As an Assistant Fire Chief, she was assigned to Division VI in the Central Regional Operations Bureau and managed the Fire Explorers youth mentoring program. Currently, she is assigned to the Special Services Bureau where she manages the Command and Control, Construction and Maintenance, and Fleet Services Divisions.

At home, Chief Pappas enjoys gardening and spending time with her family, their dogs, parakeets, and bearded dragon. Raising her daughter is her greatest accomplishment. She cherishes spending quality time with her beautiful 12-year-old daughter who is the center of her life.

DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF EAST REGIONAL OPERATIONS BUREAUVince A. PeaDeputy Fire Chief Vince A. Pea has been with the Los Angeles County Fire Department since 1981. Chief Pea has held the positions of firefighter, firefighter paramedic, firefighter specialist, fire camp foreman, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant fire chief, deputy fire chief, and acting chief deputy.

As a chief officer, battalion chief assignments have included Battalion 5 in Malibu, Battalion 16 in Covina, Battalion 20 in Inglewood, and Battalion 2 in San Dimas. He also served as the camp section battalion chief for the paid camps and heavy equipment unit. As an assistant fire chief, he was assigned to Division 2 in the east San Gabriel Valley and the Air & Wildland Division.

Chief Pea attended East Los Angeles College, the University of La Verne, and the Executive Leadership Development Program for the County of Los Angeles. He also instructs incident command courses for the Fire Department and throughout the country.

DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF NORTH REGIONAL OPERATIONS BUREAUThomas C. EwaldDeputy Fire Chief Thomas C. Ewald has served in the professional fire services for 35 years. Chief Ewald started his career as a firefighter with the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Fire Department in 1986. While working in the Midwest, he attended community college and completed paramedic training. Chief Ewald joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 1992 where he rose through the ranks serving as firefighter, paramedic, captain, battalion chief, and assistant chief.

Chief Ewald has served as a firefighter paramedic at Universal Studios and West Hollywood; a fire inspector in East Los Angeles; an apparatus engineer in Carson and Pomona; an engine company captain in Southgate and South Los Angeles; a staff captain for the Central Regional Operations Bureau Deputy; a field battalion chief in El Monte, Commerce, Palos Verdes; the chief of Technical Operations, overseeing local, national and international Urban Search and Rescue Operations; assistant chief in Division I, covering the South Bay and Catalina Island, and as the assistant chief, overseeing the Air and Wildland Division.

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