LACoFD News

Deputy Fire Chief Vince A. Peña has been with the Los Angeles County Fire Department since 1981.  Chief Peña 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.

In Chief Peña’s assignment as the deputy fire chief of the North Regional Operations Bureau, he oversaw the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the Technical Operations Section and the Air & Wildland Division.  He has also served as operations section chief for the Department on many large wildland incidents and was the incident commander of the Department’s Incident Management Team 1.

Since October 2022, and following his assignment as acting chief deputy, Chief Peña has served as the deputy fire chief over the East Regional Operations Bureau.

Chief Peña 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 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.

During his career, Chief Ewald has been called upon to respond to manmade and natural disasters across the county and worldwide with notable incidents, including Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans), Hurricane Dean (Belize), Cyclone Nargis (Camp H.S. Smith Hawaii), 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (Ofunato) , 2011 New Zealand Earthquake (Christchurch) and 2015 Typhoon Maysak (Micronesia).

In December 2017, Chief Ewald was promoted to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief where he oversaw the Department’s Special Services Bureau consisting of three divisions: Fleet Services, Command and Control, and Construction & Maintenance.

On April 1, 2021, Chief Ewald’s tour of duty ended at Special Services and he assumed command of the Central Regional Operations Bureau. By October 2022, Chief Ewald was then assigned to oversee the North Regional Operations Bureau.

Chief Ewald holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Prevention Administration from Cogswell Polytechnical College and a Master of Science degree in Leadership from the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. In 2018, Chief Ewald attended the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Chief Ewald is a qualified Type 2 Incident Commander and Type 2 Operation Section Chief and provides leadership to the Department’s Incident Management Team Two.

Chief Ewald resides in Southern California with his wife and four children.

Deputy Fire Chief Jon O’Brien has worked as a fire service professional for over 26 years. He started his career as a volunteer firefighter with the City of Sierra Madre. After graduating from high school, he completed paramedic training at the Los Angeles County Paramedic Training Institute and was hired by the City of Monrovia as a full-time firefighter/paramedic until he joined the County of Los Angeles in 1999.

Chief O’Brien has served in several operational and administrative assignments, promoting through the ranks to his current position as a Deputy Fire Chief. Along the way, he has worked as a flight medic in the Department’s Air Operations Section, a fire crew supervisor in the Camps Section, a recruit training captain, and a field battalion chief.

In April 2014, Chief O’Brien was assigned to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau and was responsible for the education and training of the Department’s 3,200 emergency medical technicians and 1,250 paramedics. The following year in November 2015, Chief O’Brien was promoted again to Assistant Fire Chief and assigned to Division VI in the Central Region. In July 2017, he returned as the Acting Deputy Fire Chief to the EMS Bureau and later officially promoted to Deputy Fire Chief in December 2017.

In April 2020, Chief O’Brien was assigned as Deputy Fire Chief of the North Regional Operations Bureau where he oversaw the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and La Cañada Flintridge as well as the Technical Operations Unit and Air & Wildland Division of the Department. In October 2022, Chief O’Brien assumed the role of Acting Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. He is the incident commander of the Department’s Incident Management Team 1.

Chief O’Brien received his Associate of Arts degree in fire science at Mount San Antonio Community College and his Bachelor of Science degree in public policy and management at the University of Southern California. He currently represents the Department on the FIRESCOPE Taskforce and the Los Angeles County Measure B Advisory Committee.

In her role as Acting Chief Deputy of Business Operations, Theresa Barrera oversees the Fire Department’s $1.4 billion budget and provides executive oversight of the Financial Management, Human Resources, and Materials Management Divisions.

Chief Barrera joined the Fire Department in November 2004, where she served as the Assistant Chief and Chief of the Financial Management Division. In June 2021, 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.  By October 2022, Chief Barrera was assigned as Acting Chief Deputy of Business Operations.

Prior to joining the Fire Department, Chief Barrera devoted 16 years climbing the ranks in administrative services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and Auditor-Controller.  Chief Barrera received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.  She is also the Treasurer of the Los County Hispanic Managers Association and a Board Member for the F&A Federal Credit Union.

Chief Barrera and her husband live in Rosemead and are proud to reside in a city served by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Interim Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone has been a chief officer for the past 24 years and a member of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department for 36 years.  Prior to this executive appointment by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Deputy Fire Chief Marrone recently served as Acting Chief Deputy over Business Operations and the Interim Fire Chief from October 2021 through February 2022.

Chief Marrone’s well-established career combines broad experience in both emergency and business operations with an extensive list of accomplishments and assignments, including supervising and managing the Leadership and Professional Standards Bureau, Special Services Bureau, Emergency Medical Services Bureau, East Regional Operations Bureau, and Central Regional Operations Bureau, in addition to managing special projects and Business Operations.  He has also directly managed routine and complex wildland fires and other significant all-risk incidents.

During his career with the Department, Chief Marrone has served on the Los Angeles County Emergency Preparedness Commission, the FIRESCOPE Task Force, Legal Exposure Reduction Committee, County Emergency Operations Center, and as an Incident Commander on one of the Department’s three Incident Management Teams.

Chief Marrone looks forward to collaborating with the Board of Supervisors, labor unions, members of the Department, and the residents and communities we serve, to further enhance the delivery and quality of emergency and life safety services to those in our care.

Anderson Mackey is an Acting Deputy Fire Chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, currently overseeing Training and the Emergency Medical Services Bureau.

Chief Mackey was born and raised in the City of Los Angeles and is a 33-year veteran of the Department.  After graduating from the fire academy, he was assigned to Fire Station 103 in Pico Rivera.  He was later assigned to Fire Station 105 in Compton as his second probationary station.  In November 1989, Fire Fighter Mackey transferred to Fire Station 8 in West Hollywood.  In January 1991, he volunteered to attend the Paramedic Training Institute.  After successful completion of the six-month program, he was re-assigned to Fire Station 8 as a Fire Fighter Paramedic.  In February 1992, he transferred to Fire Station 7 where he remained for the next six years.  In October 1998, Mackey transferred to Fire Station 161 in Hawthorne and, 11 months later, was promoted to the rank of Fire Fighter Specialist.  He was then re-assigned to Fire Station 58 in Ladera Heights.  In February 2000, Mackey promoted to the rank of Fire Captain and was assigned to Fire Station 83 in Rancho Palos Verdes.  By November 2000, he transferred to Fire Station 173 in Inglewood. In November 2006, Chief Mackey volunteered to head the Recruitment Unit where he managed over 50 recruiters who volunteered to give career presentations at high schools, colleges/universities, career fairs, and community events.  In November 2010, Chief Mackey was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief and was assigned to Battalion 10 in El Monte, and then Battalion 8 in Whittier.  In 2011, he was transferred to Battalion 20 in Inglewood.  Two years later, Chief Mackey was re-assigned to the Employee Services Section where he worked directly for the Fire Chief.  In February 2018, he promoted to the rank of Assistant Fire Chief.

Chief Mackey received his diploma of completion at Dillard University, New Orleans for the Executive Development Institute.  He resides in Pasadena with his beautiful wife Carmen and two lovely daughters, Denver and Blu.  In his spare time, he enjoys golf, swimming, skiing, and spending time with his family and friends.

Born to immigrant parents who moved to the United States from Greece, Deputy Fire Chief Eleni Pappas was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey.  After graduating from Saint Dominic’s Academy High School, she was accepted into the University of Southern California where she competed as a varsity rower, helping her team win the prestigious San Diego Crew Cup.  She graduated with a bachelor’s degree during the civil unrest in May 1992.

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).

A few years later, she was hired by Ventura County Fire Department and served as a firefighter for one year.  She then became a firefighter with the City of Los Angeles and served there for four years.  In 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center, she was accepted into the Department’s Recruit Academy and graduated from the 109^th Recruit Class later that year.

Since joining the LACoFD, she has promoted through every rank and is currently the highest-ranking woman in the Department’s history and the first-ever woman to obtain the ranks of Assistant Fire Chief and now Deputy Fire Chief.

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.

In August 2021, Chief Pappas successfully completed her master’s degree in Emergency Management from Cal State Long Beach.

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 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 moved to the Orange County Fire Authority in 1999 and began his service with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) in December 2000.  He has steadily promoted through the ranks from Fire Fighter, Fire Firefighter Paramedic, Fire Fighter Specialist, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, and now to Deputy Fire Chief on December 16, 2021.

Over the years, Chief Breshears attended Lutheran High School (La Verne, California), Glendale College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kaplan University, and California State University, Long Beach.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire and Emergency Management and a master’s degree in Emergency Services Administration.

For more than three years, Chief Breshears served as the Chief of the Professional Performance Section.  As a captain, he also completed a special assignment as the Department ICS Coordinator.  Chief Breshears is a state-certified instructor and Type II Operations Section Chief and Deputy Incident Commander for LAC IMT 1.

In June 2021, Chief Breshears was selected to serve on the FIRESCOPE Task Force.  He is currently assigned as the Deputy Fire Chief over the Leadership and Professional Standards Bureau.

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.

Commonly known as the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (CFPD) is a dependent special district.  As a dependent special district, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors acts as the CFPD’s board of directors.  Fire protection districts are governed by the Fire Protection District Law of 1987 (Health & Safety Code, Section 13800 et al).  The CFPD has the additional responsibilities for the Forester & Fire Warden (F&FW).  In 1992, the duties of the F&FW were assigned to the CFPD and those responsibilities are found in the Los Angeles County Code 2.20.

The CFPD has a civilian oversight committee that annually reviews expenditures of the CFPD’s special tax to ensure it is expended in the manner approved by voters in 1997.  Authority for the oversight committee is found in the establishing resolution for the special tax.  The committee has seven members, one each appointed by each member of the Board of Supervisors, one appointed by the City Selection committee, and the director of the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiency Committee.

Chief Deputy Dawnna B. Lawrence is the first female Chief Deputy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

In her role as Chief Deputy of Business Operations, Chief Lawrence oversees the Fire Department’s $1.3 billion budget and more than 800 employees in the Administrative, Prevention, and Special Services Bureaus.

Chief Lawrence initially came to the Fire Department in October 2012 as the Deputy Chief of the Administrative Services Bureau, where she served as the financial advisor to Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby in the midst of fiscal challenges, stemming from the 2008 Recession.  In June 2015, Chief Lawrence was appointed to Chief Deputy of Business Operations and continues to work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the financial future of the Fire Department is stable and sustainable.

Chief Lawrence is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all Fire Department team members through comprehensive action and sustainable policies and practices, in addition to fostering a workforce that is truly representative of the communities we serve.

Prior to joining the Fire Department, Chief Lawrence devoted 20 years climbing the ranks in administrative services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW), culminating in her appointment to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2006.  As CFO, Chief Lawrence was responsible for managing the DPW’s $2 billion operating budget.  Her efforts and achievement earned Chief Lawrence a CFO of the Year nomination in the September 2012 issue of the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Earlier in her career, Chief Lawrence spent a collective five years at the Department of Health Services and the Department of the Auditor-Controller.  Chief Lawrence received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.  She is also a member of the Government Finance Officers Association.

Chief Lawrence and her two sons are long-time residents of South Pasadena.

John R. Todd is a Registered Professional Forester in the State of California and he was employed as a forester by the Los Angeles County Fire Department from 1988 to 2012. In April 2012, John was promoted to the rank of deputy fire chief of the Prevention Services Bureau (PSB). The PSB is comprised of the Fire Prevention Division, the Forestry Division and the Health Hazardous Materials Division. Members of the Bureau serve the citizens of Los Angeles County by completing inspections and educating the community about the benefits of proper safety practices, completing building, sprinkler, and fire alarm plan checks, protecting natural resources, providing conservation education programs and advice to interested groups, using technology to assess weather, fuel moisture, and fire danger, and protecting public health and the environment from accidental releases and improper handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes.

John received a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1988. He has also completed many advanced courses in leadership, the Incident Command System, fire behavior, protection of resources, and urban search and rescue.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau was created in ____ ____, to address the growing EMS needs across the County. In total, EMS 9-1-1 calls comprise nearly 85 percent of the Department’s responses. The Department is committed to providing prompt, clinically skilled, and caring medical service to ensure positive outcomes for everyone, every time.