In 2019 Kevin Wise was tapped as chief of the Ceres Fire Department, a position he held for two years until leaving to become deputy fire chief for the city of Fremont. In short time he became deputy chief of Modesto Fire so when the city chose to contract for fire suppression services with Modesto, Wise is back overseeing operations in Ceres.
Now that Wise is fire chief of Modesto, he is technically Ceres’ fire chief again.
Last week Wise was announced as the permanent replacement in wake of the retirement of Modesto Fire Chief Alan Ernst after 26 years of service. Wise had been interim chief for 10 months following Ernst’s departure. The appointment came after a “rigorous nationwide search that attracted candidates from across the United States,” said Modesto City Manager Joe Lopez.
“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to serving our personnel and the community in this capacity,” commented Wise in a statement.
Besides contracting with Ceres, Modesto Fire also provides fire coverage in Oakdale, Knights Ferry, Valley Home, Riverbank, Empire, Waterford, La Grange, Turlock and Salida.
Formerly a battalion chief with the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire District, Wise was selected as Ceres’ fire chief in January 2021 to replace Bryan Nicholes who retired in August 2017.
Wise had been with Stanislaus Consolidated since July 2012 and was formerly employed with the Oakdale and Woodland Avenue fire departments. He earned his associate degree in Fire Science from Modesto Junior College in 2004 and his bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration from Cogswell Polytechnical College in San Jose. He also attended the National Fire Academy’s executive fire officer program from 2014 to 2018.
In 2016 Wise made local news when he received a bone marrow transplant and beat cancer for a second time. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011 which he beat through treatment. But in September 2015 Wise was growing easily fatigued and when doctors tested, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML. He was given additional rounds of chemotherapy and receiving blood transfusions saved his life since his bone marrow wasn’t making healthy blood cells. After the next level of treatment, a bone marrow transplant, he has remained in remission.
