After 30 years of dedicated service to his hometown, Alpine Fire Protection District Fire Chief Brian Boggeln is retiring from the department where his fire service career began.
Chief Boggeln has spent his entire career serving the Alpine community. After graduating from the Southwestern College Paramedic Program in 1997, he was hired as a cadet with the Alpine Fire Protection District. Over the next three decades, he advanced through the organization and ultimately succeeded longtime Alpine Fire Chief Bill Paskle.
For the past seven years, Chief Boggeln has led the District as fire chief. During that time, he remained focused on strengthening emergency services for the Alpine community and improving cooperation among fire departments throughout San Diego County.
Chief Boggeln responded to some of the most significant emergencies in the region’s history, including the 2003 Cedar Fire and the 2018 West Fire. His calm leadership, operational experience and ability to find practical solutions earned him the respect of firefighters and fire service leaders across the county.
His influence extended well beyond Alpine. Chief Boggeln served as the Central Zone Coordinator, helping coordinate the efforts of fire departments throughout the central portion of San Diego County. He also served on the Executive Board of the San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association and was a leader in the continued improvement of regional emergency communications systems and operational processes.
One of Chief Boggeln’s most important accomplishments in Alpine was the implementation of the District’s squad program. By adding another staffed emergency response unit, the District improved its ability to respond quickly and effectively when multiple emergencies occurred at the same time. The program has produced measurable improvements in the District’s mission to save lives, protect property and serve the community.
Chief Boggeln’s leadership cannot be measured only by programs, equipment or response statistics. His greatest contribution may be the people he mentored and the organizational culture he helped develop.
“Brian may not be the biggest person in the room, but he is a giant in the fire service,” said incoming Fire Chief Greg O’Gorman. “He approached every challenge, whether operational, administrative or personal, with the same calm, thoughtful and solution oriented manner. He has been one of my greatest mentors, and I know many firefighters and fire chiefs throughout the region feel the same way.”
Although Chief Boggeln is retiring from the Alpine Fire Protection District, he will continue serving the regional fire service in another capacity. His experience, judgment and commitment to public service will continue to benefit fire agencies and communities throughout San Diego County.
O’Gorman, a longtime Alpine resident and veteran member of the Alpine Fire Protection District, will succeed Boggeln as fire chief.
“It is such an honor to serve the community that my family and I care so deeply about,” O’Gorman said. “Chief Boggeln has prepared our organization for continued success. We have an amazing team here at the Alpine Fire Protection District, and we are committed to remaining the most responsive, highly trained and compassionate public service organization in the world.”
Chief Boggeln leaves behind a stronger fire district, a more coordinated regional fire service and a generation of local firefighters who are better because of his leadership.
On behalf of the members of the Alpine Fire Protection District and the community he has served for three decades, we congratulate Chief Brian Boggeln on his retirement and thank him for a lifetime of service to Alpine.
