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With fire safety top of mind amid devastating wildfires in Southern California, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District is searching for a new fire marshal to oversee the safety of people and property by enforcing fire safety regulations.
The MPFPD provides emergency response and fire prevention services to 90,000 residents in Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and parts of unincorporated San Mateo County.
Outgoing fire marshal Jon Johnston is departing after 25 years of service to the MPFPD, 10 of which he spent as fire marshal. In the role, Johnston helped educate homeowners on fire mitigation and home hardening techniques (the process of making a home more resistant to fires by using fire-resistant materials and landscaping practices). Efforts to compel homeowners to spend money on these projects was challenging, Johnston said, because Menlo Park doesn’t have a history of wildfires.
“Predictable is preventable,” said Johnston. “[We are] trying to prepare the community so that we can stay that way, where we don’t have that [fire] history.”
Johnston joined Menlo Park Fire in 2000 as a fire protection specialist before working his way up the ranks. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Pepperdine University, according to his company bio.
MPFPD Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said the district plans to hire someone by April 15. As part of the hiring team, Lorenzen said he is looking for somebody who is good at building relationships, has the right temperament and is a good collaborator.
“I’m also looking to figure out whether this person is going to be a good fit for our team,” said Lorenzen. “How are they going to deal with their internal staff? Are they good mentors and teachers? Do they have those qualities [of] leadership?”
The fire marshal, Lorenzen noted, is responsible for balancing business interests with the safety of employees and first responders. Since large companies like Meta are headquartered in Menlo Park, the fire marshal ensures that companies can construct innovative new buildings while ensuring those developments comply with the city’s fire and safety code.
According to Johnston, the hallmarks of a good fire marshal are somebody willing to listen to the community, look at data to understand problems that are arising, and proactively mitigate fears that the community might have.
Johnston also noted that population growth and a shift in the building stock to multi-story commercial and residential properties has necessitated technological adaptation and a larger fire prevention team in MPFPD.
“Being prepared is essential for all risks, and educating the public is necessary to see positive results,” Johnston said in an email.
After Johnston departs the role this spring, he is moving to South Carolina to work with a team of fire protection engineers at a nuclear site. His favorite memories of his life here were as a volunteer through the Kiwanis Club, as an advisor to the Key Club at Menlo-Atherton High School and organizing the fire district’s annual pancake breakfasts for the last 24 years.
“It’s just been an absolute pleasure and a joy to work here for the fire district for 25 years,” said Johnston.
According to the job posting, the pay for the role is between $225,785-$293,520 annually.
The job posting can be found at tinyurl.com/mpfdjobposting. Applications are due Feb. 12.
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