Ernie Mitchell serves as the Administor, U.S. Fire Administration. He is an active member and former officer of the Internation Association of Fire Chiefs. Mitchell retired as the Fire Chief and Assistant Director of Disaster Emergency Services for the City of Pasadena, Calif., Fire Department after 33 years in the fire service.
During his last year in Pasadena he was also President of IAFC, where he continued until the completion of his term. He served in Pasadena from 1998 until 2004. Prior to becoming fire chief in Pasadena, Mitchell served as Fire Chief and Deputy City Manager in the City of Monrovia, Calif., for seven years.
His most recent professional affiliations include serving as a member of the International Fire Service Training Association Executive Board, the International Association of Firefighters Hazardous Materials Advisory Board, the IAFC President’s Council, the IAFC Foundation Board, and the IAFC/IAFF Labor/Management Initiative Facilitator Team.
In previous years he has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Advisory Committee; on numerous committees and task forces of the IAFC; and presided over several fire service organizations, including: the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association; the League of California Cities Fire Chiefs and the Foothill Fire Chiefs. He has also been an Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters’ Everyone Goes Home Program, an adjunct instructor for the National Fire Academy and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Fire Chief Magazine.
During his career Mitchell has either chaired or been a member of many working committees that contributed to the progress and development of communities as well as local, state and national fire and emergency services. He is a past recipient of the IAFC President’s award for service and has received several community awards for service.
Mitchell has an associate of science degree in fire science from Long Beach City College; a bachelor of public administration degree from the University of San Francisco; and a master of public administration degree from California State University at Northridge.