Chris Hughes began his service with the City of Ontario in 1988 as a Firefighter/EMT. Since 1997, he has risen through the ranks holding the positions of Fire Captain, Fire Training Captain, Deputy Fire Chief and was promoted to the position of Fire Chief in December of 2004.

During his tenure, he has overseen all aspects of the Ontario Fire Department including administration, fiscal services, grant management, capital improvement, personnel, operations, emergency medical services, fire prevention and emergency management.

Chief Hughes started becoming interested in city management three years ago. After consulting with the City Manager, he began attending workshops and classes put on by the California Redevelopment Association, the California League of Cities and the California City Managers Foundation.

Chief Hughes has been an active member of the New Model Colony Policy Group which has been working with the development community to plan and finance the infrastructure needed to support the over 100,000 residents that will live in that area of Ontario.

He has also worked closely with the Planning Center to ensure that the Ontario Plan (the City’s General Plan Update) will fulfill City Council’s vision of creating a “complete community”.

Chief Hughes is a member of International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Protection Association and the California Fire Chief’s Association. He currently serves as the 1st Vice President of the San Bernardino County Fire Chief’s Association and the Chairman of the West End Fire Emergency Response Commission