After more than 26 years with the Davis Fire Department, Fire Chief Joe Tenney is retiring this month, and Division Chief Paul Swanson, a lifelong Davis resident, is set to become the city’s next fire chief on Tuesday. The department is passing the reins to someone who grew up in the community, keeping leadership close to home as Tenney steps back from a long run in the region’s fire service.
City Manager Mike Webb announced Tenney’s retirement and named Swanson as the next chief in a news release from the City of Davis, stating that the transition will be effective on Tuesday. The announcement thanked Tenney for his years of leadership and noted that Swanson’s appointment followed an internal selection process.
Hometown Climb To The Top Job
Swanson’s promotion reads like a classic local ladder climb. He started as a volunteer firefighter in Davis in 1993, was hired full time in 1996, then worked his way up to captain and later division chief before this latest step, according to The Sacramento Bee. The outlet also reports that Swanson holds a bachelor’s degree in fire service management from Sacramento State and is certified as a chief fire officer by the California State Fire Marshal. “I am honored to lead the department,” Swanson said, according to the paper.
Tenney’s Legacy And The Hand-Off
Tenney’s own résumé stretches back decades. He joined the UC Davis Fire Department in 1989, then moved over to the City of Davis in September 1999 and was appointed fire chief in 2019, according to the department’s website. As chief, he focused on improving training, communications and recordkeeping while overseeing the department’s daily operations for the city.
Local reporting credits Tenney with overseeing the hiring and promotion of roughly 45 personnel and with earning multiple state certifications, and it notes that he said he will miss the team and the “remarkable sense of camaraderie” that defines the department, according to The Sacramento Bee. City leaders say the internal promotion is expected to keep things steady in the station as Swanson steps into the chief’s role.
