Tonya Hoover
NFA Superintendent
Opening Session

The demands and challenges placed on today’s and, more importantly, tomorrow’s fire and emergency medical services have led to groups taking a comprehensive look at what the future holds for the community emergency responder.

What is the future of fire and EMS in the United States? This conversation will have us look into our “past” so we can form our today to be ready for our future.  What do our communities desire and expect when they text, call, or Facetime 911, and will we be ready?

Tonya Hoover is the Superintendent of the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy (NFA). As Superintendent, Ms. Hoover provides leadership for the NFA, which focuses on enhancing the ability of fire and emergency services and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies.

Ms. Hoover is an accomplished executive with more than 20 years of management experience in both local and state government. She has successfully worked at high levels of government in developing and implementing fire protection, fire prevention, fire training and community risk reduction programs.

From 2009 to 2016, Ms. Hoover served as the California State Fire Marshal, where she was responsible for statewide fire prevention, fire service training, pipeline safety, code and regulations development, and analysis and implementation. She was the California Assistant State Fire Marshal from 2007 to 2009.

Previously, Ms. Hoover served as a fire marshal/battalion chief for a local fire department and was a deputy campus fire marshal for the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Hoover served on the Board of Directors for the National Fire Protection Association. She currently serves on the International Fire Service Training Association Board of Directors, the Underwriters Laboratory Fire Council and is an active committee member with the International Code Council.

Ms. Hoover received her MBA in business and human resources from the University of Phoenix in 2006 and a bachelor of science in technical education, specializing in fire protection and safety, from Oklahoma State University in 1985. She holds an associate degree in fire protection engineering technology (also from Oklahoma State University) and possesses a California lifetime teaching credential for fire science.