PRESS RELEASE
City of Woodland
300 First Street
June 18, 2020 - Interim Chief Eric Zane Appointed to Serve As City of Woodland Fire Chief
(Woodland, CA) – Interim City Manager Ken Hiatt announced today that Interim Fire Chief Eric Zane has been appointed as the next Fire Chief for the City of Woodland. Chief Zane has been serving as Interim Fire Chief since January of this year following the resignation of Chief Becky Ramirez.
Chief Zane is a 15-year veteran of the Woodland Fire Department, having served most recently as Battalion Chief. Chief Zane joined the department as a Firefighter in 2005, having begun his career with the City of Folsom Fire Department. During his service with the Woodland Fire Department, he has held the rank of Firefighter, Engineer, Captain and Battalion Chief. Zane will be the first permanent Fire Chief to be promoted through the ranks from firefighter to Fire Chief in almost 100 years.
Fifth generation Woodlander, Chief Zane attended local schools, graduating from Woodland High School in 1997. While in high school, Zane became a member of the Woodland Fire Department Explorer Post where his passion for the fire service began. From that moment on Zane knew that he wanted to be a firefighter, and more specifically, he knew that he wanted to work for the Woodland Fire Department. “I knew this is where I wanted to be, but also knew that the fire service is competitive, and aiming for a single department, almost impossible”, stated Zane.
Zane went on to attend the Butte College Fire Academy while volunteering for Butte County Fire-Rescue, and in 1999 Zane was hired as a seasonal firefighter with CDF-Fire (Cal-Fire) in Butte County. While working as a seasonal firefighter Zane earned his associates degree in Fire Science and transferred to CSU-Chico where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration.
In making his announcement, Mr. Hiatt issued the following statement:
“I am honored to announce the appointment of Chief Eric Zane to serve as our next Fire Chief. The city is extremely fortunate to have someone of Chief Zane’s experience, character and professionalism ready and able to assume leadership of the Woodland Fire Department. I look forward to working with Eric in his new role in supporting the Fire Department’s continued commitment to providing excellent service to the community.”
In accepting the appointment, Chief Zane shared, “I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the Fire Chief for the City of Woodland, and I am even more excited to lead, and work for the men and women of the Woodland Fire Department, who provide excellent service to the citizens, everyday.”
Mayor Richard Lansburgh commented that, “I am pleased that Eric has been selected as our new Fire Chief. Eric has distinguished himself throughout his career with exemplary work in roles with ever-increasing responsibility and, in the process, has earned the respect of his department and peers as well as amongst our local partner agencies. The City Council and I look forward to working with Eric as he leads his department on such a critical mission to provide our community with the best in fire services.”
Eric resides in Woodland with his wife Jennifer and two son’s Carter (14) and Trevor (12).
Chief Zane’s appointment will be effective July 1st.