Chief Thom Porter
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
@CAL_FIRE
Chief Porter was appointed Director by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 8, 2019.
Chief Porter was designated Acting Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on December 14, 2018.
He has been serving as Chief of Strategic Planning in CAL FIRE Sacramento Headquarters since January 1, 2018. Previously, he served as the Southern Region Chief, Assistant Region Chief, and San Diego Unit Fire Chief.
Chief Porter’s depth of fire department management expertise is balanced by his forestry background. He is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in California with a Bachelor of Forestry Degree from the University of California Berkeley.