By Ricci Graham
Inside Bay Area (California)
Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
All Rights Reserved
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — Chief William McCammon — one of the founding fathers of the Alameda County Fire Department — soon will be heading off into the sunset, moving into a second phase of a life that will continue to be anchored by his desire to serve the public.
McCammon, 53, said he will be retiring from the agency he helped form about 28 years ago. But don’t be fooled into thinking he plans to rush out the back door anytime soon. He said his retirement won’t become effective until the end of the year.
“It’s a ways off,” McCammon said. “I’ve reached the point and time of my career that I want to get involved in something else.”
During his 28-year tenure with the agency, McCammon has attained virtually every rank imaginable in a career that began with two years at the Dublin-San Ramon Services District Fire Department. He then joined the San Leandro Fire Department.
McCammon said he
spent 14 years there and was appointed chief when the agency consolidated in 1993 with what is now known as the Alameda County Fire Department.
At the time of the consolidation, the agency was a 100-member department. The department now has 260 employees and has evolved into a multidimensional agency that does more than fight fires.
The merger in itself was a challenge because it brought together various agencies with distinct personalities. But McCammon said he is proud of how he managed the merger.
“The most difficult challenge we faced was developing a single culture in the department,” he said. “We had to work together to develop what the Fire Department was going to stand for.
“I think what I’m most proud of is how we’ve been able to do it as a team. We basically built the department from the ground up.”
As for his replacement, the decision ultimately will be made by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. McCammon, however, said he’s pushing for Deputy Chief Sheldon Gilbert to be appointed as the agency’s second chief.
“Sheldon has been my right-hand person probably for the last eight years,” McCammon said. “He’s very well-qualified. He’s very sharp, and he has a very strong background in the operation as well as the communities we serve.”
As for his most immediate plans, McCammon said he will continue working to build a regional radio system that would link Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
And when he retires Dec. 31, McCammon said, he will assist in the development of a mutual-aid system for the International Association of Fire Chiefs as part of a mandate by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Beyond that, his future is a relative unknown. He’s an aspiring politico, who bid for the Democratic nomination for the 18th Assembly District but lost in June to Mary Hayashi. The loss, he said, had nothing to do with his decision to retire. McCammon said he hasn’t dismissed the notion of running again.
“Clearly, that’s an option I might pursue,” he said.
“It was a very rewarding experience, and it was a new experience.”