CITY OF VICTORVILLE SELECTS DAVID FOSTER TO SERVE AS FIRE CHIEF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2023

VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Today, the City of Victorville announced that David Foster, an experienced fire chief with more than 40 years of experience in the fire service, will assume command of the Victorville Fire Department on April 3.

“Very rarely do fire chiefs get the chance to be part of building a new fire department,” said Foster. “I look forward to helping Victorville Fire progress to the next level. I’m very excited for this opportunity and look forward to serving with the men and women of the department to provide safety services for the Victorville community.”

Foster has served as a fire chief for the past 20 years most recently with the Village Fire Department, a department in the metro Houston, Texas area that is similar in size to the Victorville Fire Department. Previously, Foster was the Fire Chief for the much larger Dekalb County Fire Department, which serves a population of more than one million people in the Atlanta metro area.

Foster has a wealth of experience at the operations and command levels in fire suppression and prevention, emergency medical services, advanced life support and transport, emergency response management, and hazardous materials. He has experience starting up a new fire department having assisted with the development of a new department in the Omaha, Nebraska area. The department became operational within 30 days and was given federal awards of merit.

“We selected David because of his breadth and depth of experience leading both large and small fire departments,” said Victorville City Manager Keith Metzler. “We are confident David is the right person to lead Victorville Fire through the next phase of its development as a relatively new fire department.”

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska; and he earned the prestigious Executive Fire Officer degree from the National Fire Academy, an invitation-only master’s degree course completed by just a portion of active fire chiefs in the country.

Foster has roots in California. He was born and raised in Burbank. He first joined the fire service as a firefighter in the United States Air Force where he served for four years. His first civilian fire experience was as a firefighter in Palmdale.

He and his wife Kristin have two children and three grandchildren. They enjoy outdoor activities like cycling and hiking; and they look forward to returning to California where they will be closer to family and friends.

Foster’s commendations include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Georgia Fire Administrator of the Year Award, Georgia EMS Director of the Year Award, and DeKalb County Medal of Honor. He is an active volunteer and serves on the boards of two nonprofits focused on bringing medical care to underprivileged individuals in the U.S. and other nations.

Foster will assume command from Interim Fire Chief William “Willie” Racowschi who has served the department since December 2022.

The history of the Victorville Fire Department dates to 1926 when the Victorville County Fire Protection District was established. In 1930, the Victorville Volunteer Fire Department was created. In 1976, approximately 14 years after Victorville was incorporated, control of the Victorville Fire Protection District was assumed by the City of Victorville. In March 2019, the City of Victorville re-established its Fire Department after contracting fire services for 10 years.

Located in Southern California at the mid-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Victorville is the leading city for both industry and retail in the High Desert region. Victorville is a growing, vibrant community that is home to approximately 135,000 residents and some of the area’s largest employers. Clean air, abundant mountain vistas, family-friendly recreational activities, spectacular sunsets and breathtaking night skies entice locals and visitors alike to fall in love with this city that is within a few hours of SoCal beaches, National Parks, mountain retreats, and other major attractions. Ontario International Airport is less than an hour away. Learn more about the City of Victorville at VictorvilleCA.gov.

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 Contact: Sue Jones, Public Information Officer