Kent Thrasher, who has been serving as the interim chief of the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department since May last year, was appointed as chief of the department by the SMC Fire Department Board of Directors earlier this month. Before serving as interim chief, Thrasher was deputy fire chief of the relatively new department that he helped to establish.
The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department was formed on Jan. 13, 2019 by a merger of departments in the cities of San Mateo, Foster City and Belmont and comprises of nine stations and 154 full-time employees.
Thrasher began his professional career in fire service in Florida in 1992 before relocating to California. He’s served in various roles in San Mateo County since 1996. In 2014, while serving as battalion chief and command staff member overseeing the Belmont Fire Protection District, Thrasher was involved in the creation of the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department and participated in the merger of the three fire departments in San Mateo, Foster City, and Belmont, the department said.
“Kent has proven himself as a veteran of the organization and his leadership strengthens our department,” said Joe Goethals, chair of the Fire Board Chair and a San Mateo city councilmember. “He has worked hard to develop the trust of our firefighters and the confidence of the board. Our residents and the region will be well served with Fire Chief Kent Thrasher at the helm of the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department.
Thrasher said he is grateful for the mentorship he received up until this point in his career and for the “incredible talent” possessed by San Mateo Consolidated Fire.
“Moving into the Fire Chief position in an organization that has been my family for the last couple decades is a true honor, and extremely humbling,” Thrasher said. “All of us at SMC Fire have worked diligently the past several years to get our young department to where it is today, and I’m excited to embrace the challenges and opportunities the next few years will bring as we continue to evolve.”
Thrasher holds an A.S. Degree in EMS Management, and is currently working towards a B.S. in Fire Administration.
Photo courtesy of the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department
