
For more than 34 years, Battalion Chief Joseph Novelli has been in the fire service industry. Chief Novelli started as a volunteer firefighter at the age of 16. Over the years, he was able to attain a seasonal position with CAL Fire. He has a bachelor's degree in business management from Saint Mary's College, and an associate degree in fire science.
Chief Novelli has held almost every rank in the industry including firefighter, engineer, paramedic, fire captain, platoon training officer, fire inspector, fire investigator, and shop steward. Now, he is an operations battalion chief and his duties include overseeing three cities comprised of 10 engines, 2 ladder trucks, 1 water rescue, and 1 hazardous material team.
As a college fire instructor for six years, Chief Novelli has assisted many entry-level candidates in reaching their goals in becoming career firefighters. He also served as a rescue specialist for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force III team.



Steve Cavallero began his Fire Service Career in 1980 after working as an Ambulance Paramedic in Santa Clara County. Steve was hired by the Redwood City Fire Department in June 1980, and retired from Redwood City as a Battalion Chief in November 2011 with 31.5 years of service.
During his Fire Service Career, Steve held the ranks of Firefighter, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, Training Officer, and Acting Fire Chief. Steve had the unique opportunity to work over 21 years at the Rank of Battalion Chief, with 8 of those years spent as the Department’s Training Officer and 13 years as a Shift Battalion Chief.
Steve is a past president of the San Mateo County Training Officers Association. In 2006, he received the Ed Bent California Fire Instructor of the Year award from the Nor Cal and So Cal Training Officers Associations.
In 2009-2010, Steve served as the Cadre Lead for the curriculum development of the “Command and Control of the RIC Deployment” course for the California State Fire Training. He was a cadre member for the re-write of this curriculum to the “managing the Firefighter Emergency” Course. He was also a contributor to the development of the “Firefighter Survival” and “RIC Operations” courses for State Fire Training.

In 1986, Chief Michael Keefe started his career in the fire service industry. He was able to serve in every rank before retiring after 29 years of service as the Fire Chief for the San Mateo, Foster City, and Belmont Fire Departments.
Chief Keefe served as a Rescue Specialist for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue. He was also awarded a Medal of Valor for his contributions during the rescue efforts after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
For 10 years, Chief Keefe has helped hundreds of aspiring students enter the fire service industry as a fire science instructor at the local community college. He holds an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in business management, and is the State of California’s Certified Chief Officer.

Deputy Chief Drew Flinders has been in the fire service for 35 years in the Fire service. Drew started as a volunteer at age 21 and was hired as paid Firefighter for the City of Burlingame the next year. Chief Flinders has held nearly every position during his career which includes Firefighter, paramedic, Captain, shift Battalion chief and Deputy Chief overseeing operations for cites that make up the Central County Fire Department. Drew was a Rescue specialist for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue for a number of years prior to being promoted to the position or Rescue team leader. Chief Flinders was the primary instructor for the San Mateo County Fire Academy and spent 10 years teaching the various technical rescue classes for FEMA CATF-3. Chief Flinders was a certified Strike team leader and was deployed numerous times throughout California. He has participated in dozens of hiring processes, and promotional assessment centers over his career. Chief Flinders has coached and mentored hundred of co-workers as they prepare for the assessment center exam.

Division Chief

Battalion Chief Chuck Goodwin started his fire service career in 1987 as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Foster City Fire Department. In 1989 he was hired as a full time Firefighter. Chief Goodwin has promoted through every rank from Firefighter to his current position as an operations Battalion Chief. Primarily assigned to a Truck
Company through most of his career Chief Goodwin is a Tractor/Tiller Operator instructor, a State Certified Instructor in Firefighter Safety, Survival and RIC Operations. Chief Goodwin is a Type 2 Safety Officer with close to a dozen overhead deployments for wild land incidents as well as other disasters. He is a founding member of the Department’s OES Type 2 Water Rescue Team and went on to run this program. Chief Goodwin has also served as the Training Officer and Co-Director of the Department’s Fire Academy. As an Operations Battalion Chief, Chief Goodwin is responsible for a shift of 10 Engines, 2 Truck Companies, as well as a Hazardous Materials Team, Water Rescue Team and multiple
specialized apparatus and teams serving 3 Cities responding to in excess of 17,000 incidents
per year.