Scappoose Fire District Hires New Division Chief (Photo) - 08/17/21
Scappoose Fire District is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Miguel Bautista to fill the position of Division Chief.
Scappoose Fire District is making history with the appointment of Chief Bautista as its first LatinX chief officer. According to a 2020 report released by the National Fire Protection Association, less than 8 percent of all career firefighters are of Latino or Hispanic heritage and less than two percent of those firefighters hold a chief officer rank. Scappoose Fire District is excited to expand its ranks with qualified and diverse new hires.
Chief Bautista has been in the fire service for over 16 years with a combination of volunteer and career experience. He has worked in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, holding positions as Firefighter, Senior Firefighter, Acting in Capacity (AIC) Company Officer, Fire Chief, Fire Inspector and Deputy Fire Marshal.
Chief Bautista holds an associate degree from Portland Community College in Fire Protection Technology, a bachelor’s degree in Fire Services Administration through Eastern Oregon University, a master’s degree in Safety, Security & Emergency Management with specialization in both Fire and Emergency Services and Emergency Management through Eastern Kentucky University, and a PhD in Public Safety with specialization in Emergency Management through Capella University. He is also a graduate of the Texas A&M’s Fire Service Chief Executive Officer program.
Chief Bautista holds many professional fire service certifications including NFPA Fire Officer 4. He has received his Fire Marshal designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence, joining the ranks of only 203 fire prevention professionals in the United States and 4 in the State of Oregon. He holds a Certified Fire Investigator certification from the International Association of Arson Investigators and Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator certification with the National Association of Fire Investigators. In addition to these credentials, Chief Bautista is fluent in Spanish. This fluency will allow Scappoose Fire District to expand its services to the Spanish speaking community.
Chief Bautista serves on both state and national fire service committees. He serves on the International Association of Arson Investigators – Oregon Chapter Executive Board as a Director and the National Fire Protection Association on their Airport Maintenance Operations Committee. He has also taken time to teach the future leaders as an Adjust Instructor for Eastern Oregon University’s Fire Services Administration and Emergency Medical Services Administration programs since 2014.
Chief Bautista shared a statement about his appointment, "I'm excited to be a part the team. This organization has many progressive ideas, embodies servant leadership, and has a positive organizational culture that makes this feel like the right place for me. I'm excited to continue to work with all the district members and serve the community."
Join us in extending a warm welcome to Chief Bautista!
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For questions, please contact Maria Heath @ mheath@srfd.us
