Before becoming the Corvallis Fire Department Fire Chief in June 2019, Kenneth McCarthy was a Deputy Chief with the San Jose Fire Department, serving the 10th largest city in the country in a department with 800 professional firefighters. He retired from San Jose Fire Department in May 2019 after 23 years holding the following positions: Firefighter Paramedic, Captain, Battalion Chief, Division Chief, and Deputy Chief.
He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from California State University, Chico; attended the Fire Academy at Butte College; and attended Paramedic School at Northern California Technical Institute.
Kenneth is the father of 3 (2 daughters and a son) and enjoys volleyball, pickle ball, road trips, theater, and hiking.