By Vanguard Staff
DAVIS, Calif. — Davis City Manager Daryel Dunston announced Friday that Fire Chief Joe Tenney will retire after more than 26 years of service to the Davis community, concluding a 38-year career in the fire service. Dunston also announced the appointment of Paul Swanson as the city’s next fire chief, effective Feb. 17, 2026.
Tenney began his fire service career with positions at the UC Davis and Shasta College fire departments. He earned multiple California state fire certifications and an associate degree in fire technology before joining the Davis Fire Department in 2000 under then-Fire Chief Rose Conroy and Operations Chief Jack Hickey. He later served as a fire captain and battalion chief before being promoted to fire chief in 2019.
Throughout his career, Tenney continued advancing his professional training, earning California certifications as a fire officer, hazmat specialist, incident commander, trench rescue and technical rescue specialist, among others. He later completed his California state chief officer certification and earned a bachelor’s degree in fire and emergency management.
Tenney also served on the board of directors and as secretary for Davis Professional Firefighters Local 3494. Since becoming fire chief, he has overseen the hiring and promotion of more than 45 personnel, including firefighters, captains and battalion chiefs.
He responded to multiple major incidents across California, including the 2020 LNU Complex fires in Yolo and Solano counties and the 2021 Caldor Fire.
In retirement, Tenney plans to spend more time with his wife, Jacque, and their four children and five grandchildren. He also plans to travel and play baseball.
“I am extremely proud of those in the Davis Fire family that have consistently provided exceptional customer service, strong work ethic, integrity and professionalism. A special thanks to the administrative staff that support and maintain the needs of the Fire Chief and all the other personnel,” Tenney said. “There is so much I will miss—the team, the residents and the remarkable sense of camaraderie that defines the Fire Department. Serving in the fire service, and doing so for a community as welcoming and appreciative as Davis, has truly been one of the greatest honors of my career.”
“It has been an absolute honor and pleasure serving alongside Chief Tenney,” Dunston said. “Having started my career in local government with the fire service, Joe and I hit it off on my first day in Davis, trading battle stories on emergency incidents we’ve managed and sharing a deep connection on leadership principles. Joe exemplifies the selfless qualities a community seeks in a fire chief, always placing others’ needs above his own. While I wish him well in retirement, he will certainly be missed.”
“The City Council is deeply grateful to Chief Tenney for the professionalism and dedication he has brought to our Fire Department,” Davis Mayor Donna Neville said. “His example has inspired the next generation of Davis firefighters. We thank him for his years of service.”
Following Tenney’s retirement, Dunston appointed Swanson as the next fire chief.
Swanson, a lifelong Davis resident, has 30 years of experience within the Davis Fire Department. He began as a volunteer firefighter in 1993 and became a full-time firefighter in 1996. He was promoted to captain in 2007 and division chief in 2012. Swanson graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a bachelor’s degree in fire service management and is a certified chief fire officer through the Office of the California State Fire Marshal. He is a three-time Davis Firefighter of the Year, earning the recognition in 1995, 2001 and 2006.
“I feel truly fortunate to serve with such dedicated and talented public servants—individuals who embody what it means to put community first,” Swanson said. “I am honored to continue that service as fire chief, and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
“I’ve worked closely with Paul since arriving in Davis, and truth be told, he was ready to be a fire chief 10 years ago,” Dunston said. “For Paul to place our community and this department above his professional goals is not only admirable – it is the type of person that I want leading the Davis Fire Department into the next generation. The fire service has a long history of promoting from within, and make no mistake, we are extremely fortunate to have such an accomplished and capable leader who has risen within our ranks.”
Swanson said he looks forward to continuing the Fire Department’s tradition of service while advancing new approaches to meet the changing landscape of emergency response.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
Two guys (well, not them “personally”) that are ensuring that Davis (and every other city like it) goes broke.
I’ve never needed the services of a fire department in my entire life, and I doubt that I ever will. Nor will almost anyone I’ve ever met.
But if I ever do (maybe when I’m in my 80s or 90s), I wouldn’t be surprised if I receive a $30,000 bill for “emergency/medical response” services – despite having medical insurance.
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”
I don’t really know if that’s true in this case, I just like The Who
FWIW, I sang the same line yesterday when I got the press release
Hmmm . . . well, it’s not for nothing :-)