Jon Neal, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s Code Enforcement Officer, has been promoted to the position of Assistant Fire Marshal.

He began his formal assignment on Monday, Oct. 30. This new position was approved during the FY 2017-18 budget process, taking the place of the Fire Protection Analyst position, and it is in-line with the goals and objectives established within the department’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

“We look forward to Jon’s leadership role increasing as our Assistant Fire Marshal,” Chief Dan Stefano said. “The range and depth of Jon’s skill sets and experience that he has demonstrated serving our country, in different industry sectors, and within the City of Costa Mesa are tremendous assets for our organization. We have an incredibly talented and hardworking team who is redefining what effectiveness and efficiency look like when innovation is infused as a core value within that framework and Jon embodies that mindset.”

Neal’s commitment to public service began when he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard immediately after high school, where he served as a firefighter on the USCGC Alert, a 210-foot cutter, among other assignments. Upon completion of his active duty in 2004, Neal worked as the inventory control manager for three years at Active Ride Shop, which was followed by his service in Gulu, Uganda, as a logistics manager for Invisible Children, a non-profit organization.

Neal joined the Fire & Rescue team in 2015 in the Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Division and he has done an outstanding job of serving in a number of areas ever since, from fire and life safety to plan review to code adoption and much more.

His initial work in Costa Mesa began in 2008, when he was hired as the city’s storekeeper, working in the Corporation Yard warehouse. Thereafter, as part of the organization’s restructuring, Neal went on to fill a range of vacant positions within the Public Services Department Maintenance Services Division.

In 2012, he was promoted to Code Enforcement Officer in the Community Improvement Division where he was tasked with coordinating and leading the multi-agency Hotel/Motel Taskforce, which also included presenting cases to the Planning Commission and City Council that led to C.U.P. revocations.

Neal has also earned a number of California State Fire Marshal Certifications and is nearing completion of his Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science Management from American Military University.