Supervisors appoint two residents to Los Altos Hills County Fire District Board of Commissioners
SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian today announced two appointments to the Los Altos Hills County Fire District Board of Commissioners: retired Palo Alto firefighter Toby McDonell and Los Altos Hills City Councilmember George Tyson.
“Toby is well-qualified for this appointment,” said Simitian. “His extensive experience as a firefighter brings practical insight to the Board of Commissioners. His knowledge and understanding of the nature of fire, and how to prevent and suppress it, will be invaluable as the Commission works to ensure the safety of the District’s residents.”
A resident of an unincorporated area of the District for over two decades, McDonell has over 30 years experience as a firefighter. During his time within the Palo Alto Fire Department, McDonell held roles such as firefighter, engineer, paramedic, Captain, and Acting Battalion Chief. He also served several seasons as a firefighter for CAL FIRE, with his final season as part of the elite Helitac helicopter firefighting crew. McDonell currently works at El Camino Health’s Mountain View hospital where he is an Emergency Department Medical Technician assisting registered nurses, physician assistants, and doctors provide basic life support services to patients.
“After serving 33 years in the fire service, I finally decided that it was time for me to retire,” said McDonell. “After a year, I realized I still have so much to give. Helping people is what drives me and brings me happiness and I have much to offer the community through my compassion and experience.”
Simitian also nominated George Tyson to the Commission. Tyson, a Los Altos Hills City Councilmember and former Mayor, will continue to build on the work he started since joining the Commission in 2015. Tyson has lived in Los Altos Hills since 2009 and has been active in public service his entire adult life, including board positions at West Valley Community Services, Cupertino Union School District, and Silicon Valley Clean Energy. He currently works as an independent consultant in the pharmaceutical industry; Tyson is also on the faculty of UC Berkeley, teaching the capstone class in chemical engineering.
“The District is in great shape, with strong finances, an outstanding general manager and staff, and a Commission that is eager to work together to get things done,” said Tyson. “I look forward to working with Mr. McDonell and the rest of the Commission to effectively serve our residents.”
“Even as the County and affected communities are starting recovery efforts from the recent rains, we can’t forget that the threat of wildfires is here to stay,” said Simitian. “With the appointments of Toby McDonell and George Tyson, the Board of Commissioners will be ready to tackle these daunting challenges.”
The Los Altos Hills County Fire District (District) contracts its firefighting personnel, apparatus and equipment from the Santa Clara County Fire Department. This arrangement allows the District to leverage the County’s larger resources while tailoring services to the local community’s unique needs. In addition to fire prevention and suppression, the District provides support functions for community education and outreach and fuel removal.
The District was organized on October 23, 1939, and serves residents of Los Altos Hills and the unincorporated areas known as Loyola, Los Trancos, and San Antonio Hills. The District serves approximately 12,000 people. District Commissioners are nominated by the County’s District Five Supervisor (Simitian), and appointed by the County Board of Supervisors.
Members of the public interested in serving on a County Board or Commission can find a complete list of vacancies online.