A longtime employee with the Yakima Fire Department (YFD) is now its new Deputy Fire Chief.
Jeremy Rodriguez, a 22-year employee with YFD, began his new role as Deputy Fire Chief this week.
“It is exciting to have Jeremy on board as Deputy Fire Chief,” said Chief Aaron Markham. “This brings us up to full staffing in that role and helps share the workload.”
YFD operates with two deputy chiefs. YFD Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Reid was hired for that post in October 2017. Rodriguez fills the deputy chief position previously held by Markham, who was promoted to Yakima Fire Chief in June 2018.
Rodriguez’s area of oversight as Yakima Deputy Fire Chief is in Support, overseeing several areas of support operations such as fleet management, fire code inspection program, as well as facilities and apparatus maintenance.
A native of Southern California, Rodriguez previously worked for an ambulance company before moving to Yakima to become a firefighter.
“It’s an opportunity to be out in the public and help the community,” Rodriguez said of his decision to become a firefighter. “I’m excited and grateful for this new opportunity as deputy chief to grow in serving the public.”
Public service has deep roots in Rodriguez’s family tree. His uncle in Tucson, Ariz. is a retired fire chief. His grandmother served with the March of Dimes for several years, eventually becoming a key figure for the non-profit’s West Coast outreach. “Ronald Reagan wrote her a letter when she retired in the 1980s,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez and his wife Lien have two sons, one a high school senior and the other a high school freshman. They volunteer for local school organizations, including the Davis High School football booster club.
Click https://yakimafire.com/ for more information about YFD.