Dave Marques is retiring as Manteca’s Fire Chief on Jan. 23.

Marques, 54, has served as the city’s fire chief since 2021 including an initial nine month stint as the interim chief.

City Manager Toni Lundgren plans to name an interim fire chief in the coming weeks.

There are also plans to launch a search for a permanent chief.

Marques’ most enduring accomplishment may be the establishment of a department culture where “it’s a place where we always say ‘yes’ when people ask for help

“One of the most rewarding accomplishments of my time in Manteca was the part I played in creating and affirming our workplace values of professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication, and excellence,” “Marques said. 

“The opportunity to work with such amazing people is what I will cherish the most.” 

During his tenure as fire chief, the city obtained its first tiller truck.

The versatile apparatus that can maneuver in narrower streets as well as allow quick aerial fire attacks and rescues with a 100-foot ladder represents a $2 million overall investment.

The most notable fires in his 28 years with Manteca included an April 2018 four-alarm inferno that destroyed a third of the 164 units under construction at the time at the Tesoro complex at Van Ryn Avenue and Atherton Drive complex.

Also on that list was a fire several years ago that destroyed five homes under construction in southwest Manteca.

Marques’ first year as Manteca firefighter saw him as the first responder on scene at 13 structure fires

He added the large number of severe and fatal accidents over the years on the 120 Bypass stands out.

There have been only two fire-related deaths in Manteca since 1996.

Among his career highlights in Manteca was:

*Serving as the emergency services coordinator for the 1996 floods.

*Operating as a long-term coordinator for both the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response as well as power outages.

*Serving as the department’s training officer for many successful firefighter training academies.

*Establishing the city’s first cooling and warming centers.

Marques noted one of the big reasons he decided to spend the last 28 years — with a six month gap when he went to work for Santa Clara Fire and then returned — of his 35-year fire service career in Manteca was due to the strong relationship with the police department.

He noted it is fairly unusual for cities to have fire and police departments that work as closely — and get along as well — as Manteca.

Marques became a full-time firefighter in 1991 with the South Placer Fire District. He became an emergency medical technician (EMT) for the agency in 1995.

Marques was hired in 1996 with the City of Manteca as a firefighter.

It was when Manteca had three fire stations. The Union Road facility, the replacement station for the former Center Street station that now houses the municipal maintenance operation, had not yet been built.

There were 27 firefighters at the time.

Marques worked his way through the ranks and was promoted to the Battalion Chief in 2011.

He was elevated to fire chief in November of 2021

Marques is Manteca’s 12th fire chief since the city transitioned from a volunteer to a full time department in 1958.

"Chief Marques’ leadership, commitment to public safety, and dedication to his team have been invaluable to the city and the residents we serve,” noted Lundgren. 

“We are grateful for his service and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement."

Raised in  Rohnert Park in the Santa Rosa area, being a firefighter wasn’t on his radar when he graduated Rancho Corte High in 1988. He wanted to be a history teacher.

A three-week backpacking trip in Kings Canyon National Park as a 20 year-old started the journey that ultimately led him to today overseeing Manteca’s fire department with its 45 frontline firefighters.

It is where he came across two Sacramento firefighters also backpacking who told him he might like a career in the fire service.

That led to Marques becoming a volunteer firefighter with the South Placer Fire District sandwiched between Roseville and Folsom Lake.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com