Boaz first joined Healdsburg Fire in 1997
Healdsburg’s new fire chief is no stranger to Healdsburg or the local fire department.
Jason Boaz, who took over as interim chief when Fire Chief Steve Adams resigned last October, was chosen as the permanent chief after a nationwide search that drew 45 applicants, according to Healdsburg City Manager David Mickaelian.
“I am proud to have Jason as our fire chief,” Mickaelian said. “He has proven his commitment and service to our community.”
Boaz started in the fire service after he obtained his bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara in ethics and public policy.
“I went to work for a fire equipment company after college and I was impressed with the people I met and how they carried themselves,” he said.
A year later he moved to Healdsburg, where his father, Doug Boaz, worked for the city’s water department and where the future fire chief had attended high school.
Boaz joined the fire department as a reserve firefighter in 1997, learning the trade. “The training and exposure you get here as a reserve firefighter is great,” he said.
Boaz spent three years elsewhere, working with the Skywalker Ranch Fire Brigade and the Boise, Idaho Fire Department before returning to Healdsburg as a fire engineer in 2002. He was promoted to fire captain in 2005.
The new chief said he “plans on being here for a long time. It gives me the opportunity to take the department in the direction I want to take it.”
What direction is that? Boaz said he wants to focus on long term planning, succession planning for command staff and strategic planning. “I just want to make sure we’re following best practices,” he said. “I want us to be the best fire department in terms of fire fighting and fire prevention,” he said.
In addition to a variety of specialized training, including Incident Commander, Hazardous Materials Technician, Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Fire Instructor, Boaz is completing his masters degree in public administration and a california State Chief Officer Certification.
Boaz is married and has three children with another on the way.
He is also a member of the Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council.
