Mountain View Fire Chief Juan Diaz is set to retire Dec. 30 after more than 40 years – 12 of which were spent with the city of Mountain View – in fire services. Diaz’s successor, set to fill the chief position Dec. 31, is current deputy fire chief Brian Jones.
Diaz has served as fire chief since 2015, according to a city of Mountain View press release, but he got his start in the fire services in 1985, when at 19 years old he volunteered as a firefighter/EMT for the city of Santa Clara Fire
Department while studying at the Mission College Fire Science program.
Before joining the Mountain View Fire Department, he served the San Jose Fire Department for 25 years; he joined MVFD in 2014 as Deputy Chief of Operations and became fire chief within a year.
Some of his biggest accomplishments include a robust Community Emergency Response Team – which boasts more than 1,000 community members – and emergency sustainability programs, upgrading Mountain View Fire medical services, building a Type I urban search and rescue team and upgrading the city’s hazardous materials response capabilities.
Diaz’s dedication to the community extended across city lines, as he championed mutual aid coordination and served as liaison to County Fire Chiefs Operation Section group and president of the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association.
“Our mission was never just about responding to emergencies,” Diaz said. “It was about building a fire department that reflects and serves our community with pride, compassion and excellence. I have enjoyed working closely with city manager (Kimbra) McCarthy and our effective executive team in building a more resilient organization. I am also thankful for our city council, which makes our community’s safety a priority. I leave knowing the city of Mountain View Fire Department is stronger, more diverse, and ready to face any emergency in a more robust way than ever before, and in the very capable hands of Deputy Fire Chief Brian Jones who has been by my side working hard over the last 10 years.”
Jones is taking over with 32 years of experience. He joined MVFD in May 2016 as deputy fire chief; he previously served as battalion chief for the city of Stockton Fire Department.
Like Diaz, Jones began his first responder classes at Mission College, where he took fire technology and emergency medical services classes while still a student at St. Francis High School.
While serving as deputy chief, he’s also an incident commander and has served as the team manager of the South Bay Incident Management Team, which is tasked with managing large-scale incidents and disasters in the Bay Area, since 2017.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be named as the next fire chief for the city of Mountain View, the city where I was born and attended high school,” said Jones. “I am passionate about the fire service and I am so excited to lead this great fire department that provides such exceptional service to the community across all its divisions. … I look forward to building meaningful connections with the community as fire chief and working collaboratively to serve the evolving needs of Mountain View.”
