Today, Governor Gavin Newsom reappointed Brian Marshall as the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Fire and Rescue Chief. He was initially appointed to his new position in December 2018.

Chief Marshall spent the previous six years as the fire chief and director of emergency services at the Kern County Fire Department. He served in several positions with the Kern County Fire Department since 1987, including interim fire chief and director of emergency services, deputy fire chief, fire battalion chief, fire captain, fire engineer and firefighter. He is also a member of FIRESCOPE and oversaw numerous disasters throughout central California, including the Erskine Fire in 2016.

At Cal OES, Chief Marshall has coordinated response operations to numerous wildfires throughout the state, most notably the Saddleridge and Getty fires in Los Angeles County and the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County.

Chief Marshall replaced Kim Zagaris, who announced his retirement in 2018. Zagaris was appointed as the Fire and Rescue Chief on April 1, 2001.