Sonoma resident Steve Akre has been named as the chief for the Valley of the Moon Fire Protection District.
Akre will replace Chief Mark Freeman who is retiring.
William Norton, the district’s board president, said Akre was chosen based on his 29 years of fire service experience, his local knowledge of Sonoma Valley, as well as his strong communication and exceptional relationship-building skills.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected as the next fire chief of the Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority. Joining this team has a very special and personal meaning to me,” Akre said. “As a lifelong Sonoma resident, this very fire department sparked my interest to become a firefighter.”
He said that when he was 3, he would race to the fire station with his mother when they heard the fire siren.
“I was able to start my career as a volunteer firefighter when I was a senior at Sonoma Valley High. Throughout my career in the fire service, I have always embodied the values, passion, and camaraderie I learned at a young age in this department,” he said. “I am incredibly excited and blessed to be able to come full circle in my career and return to the very department that I hold in the highest regard. Being the new Sonoma Fire Chief is a lifelong dream come true.”
He will run day-to-day operations, overseeing the four fire stations and ambulance transport system comprised of 39 full-time employees and 40 volunteer firefighters, while managing an overall district budget of $8.7 million.
Norton said Akre most recently served as the Acting Fire Chief for the City of Pinole, leading them through a time of transition involving a proposal for a shared services agreement between the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District, and the City of Pinole for a shared fire chief and support services, including prevention and training.
“We look forward to working with Steve,” Norton said. “Under the direction of the fire district board of directors, Chief Akre will do his best to keep the SVFRA a vibrant and proactive entity in the Valley and a collaborator with other fire departments in the county.”
Akre will start his employment on Jan. 9, working with Freeman and will officially take over as fire chief on Feb. 2. “Mark Freeman will be passing on the ‘bugle’ of leadership to Steve Akre on Feb. 2,” Norton said. “We are happy to welcome Steve as our new fire chief.”
Email bill.hoban@?sonomanews.com.
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