Zoraida Diaz Chief Zoraida Diaz is the Fire Chief in Fremont, California. Chief Diaz was appointed as the Fremont Fire Chief in 2023. She held the position of Deputy Fire Chief for two years prior to becoming the Fire Chief. Zoraida began her fire service career as a firefighter in Oakland, California
where she spent 18 years. She advanced through the ranks of the Oakland Fire Department (OFD) rising to the position of Assistant Fire Chief before her move to Fremont Fire. Zoraida is an incredible person and fire service professional with a unique career path. She was born and raised in New York City and is proudly of Afro-Latina heritage. Chief Diaz is bilingual in Spanish and English. Before coming to the fire service, she spent 15 years as a social worker. She attended the State University of New York at Albany earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Spanish, and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling. After relocating from New York to California, a friend, who was with the OFD, encouraged her to consider the fire service as a career. She had been an athlete growing up, and when she saw the teamwork and camaraderie of firefighters, she felt it was something she would want to do. At the age of 36, Zoraida decided to make the change from social worker to firefighter, and as they say, the rest is history! Chief Diaz is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and a member of IAFC Cohort X of the Fire Service Executive Institute. She is also a graduate of the Executive Development Institute (EDI), where she continues as a student counselor dedicated to preparing members of the International Association of Black
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