Welcome to the CalChiefs Emergency Management (EM) Section website. My name is Brian Helmick, I am a Deputy Chief for Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, serve as a member of the CalChiefs Executive Board, and have recently filled the Section President vacancy following the retirement of Chief Frank Frievalt.

Unprecedented wildfires and a global pandemic have underscored the absolute necessity of comprehensive Emergency Management in our communities and revealed an immense shared space with California’s Fire Service none of us could have fully appreciated before. We have an equally unprecedented opportunity to improve outcomes in future disasters by aligning our efforts and bringing diverse capabilities to bear in mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

In response to present threats, and those we can expect, we’ll be retooling the EM section with your input and help, including this website. The EM Section’s top priority is to assist with providing networking and educational opportunities to those who are responsible for coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

The EM Section needs your support, participation, and expertise to truly improve outcomes on a large scale.

If you any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at bhelm@cccfpd.org or 925-584-8468.

Sincerely,

Brian Helmick