Tribal Fire Department Chief Appointed to California State Board of Fire Services

San Manuel Fire Chief Michael J. Smith was appointed July 12 by Governor Jerry Brown to the California State Board of Fire Services, a body that addresses fire protection and prevention issues on a statewide level. 

The State Board of Fire Services is a 17-member advisory board to the California State Fire Marshal. The Board is comprised of representatives of fire service labor, fire chiefs, fire districts, volunteer firefighters, city and county government, Office of Emergency Services, and the insurance industry.

This appointment is the product of the emergent role that California Tribal Governments have come to play in the broader emergency service response network across the state.

Chief Smith, a resident of the City of Highland, has been a fire service professional with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians since 2000 and was instrumental in working with Tribal leadership to establish the San Manuel Fire Department in 2003. A key and ongoing aspect of organizing the San Manuel Fire Department is the development and maintenance of interoperability agreements, standards and procedures between San Manuel Fire and all levels of fire services in the state of California through San Manuel Fire’s participation in mutual and automatic aid agreements and cooperative training with fire agencies.

“In our view, this appointment is further confirmation that San Manuel and Tribal Governments statewide have become critical partners in preparing for and responding to emergencies,” said San Manuel Tribal Chairperson Carla Rodriguez. “Chief Smith represents someone who has forged strong reciprocal relationships with other jurisdictions enabling San Manuel to be part of a unified response when life and property are threatened.” 

This new role is being commemorated and celebrated as a shared milestone for San Manuel Chief Smith, San Manuel Fire, and the San Manuel Tribal Community. Moreover, San Manuel Fire has made it a priority to reach out to Tribal fire departments to cooperatively evaluate strategies and tactics employed in emergency services response on Tribal lands that are prone to wildfire and have been historically underserved.

“This is more than a personal appointment, this is a seat at the table for Tribal Governments to assure that statewide fire policy comprehensively addresses all lands in California including its more than 100 reservations and rancherias,” said San Manuel Fire Chief Michael J. Smith of the four-year appointment. “I wish to express my gratitude to the San Manuel community for their support of the department’s ongoing outreach to advocate for tribal fire services and develop policies that address the needs of these communities.”

Chief Smith was recruited to the tribe from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and manages day-to-day response to emergencies both on and off the reservation. He is a member of numerous professional and distinguished organizations that work to develop the fire service capacity of American Indian tribes across the nation including: National Fire Protection Association, President of the California Tribal Fire Chiefs Association and the National Native American Fire Chiefs Association.