The CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) recently announced that Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Vickie Sakamoto as the new Assistant State Fire Marshal. Chief Sakamoto brings nearly 38 years of dedicated service to the fire protection and public safety sectors. Prior to her appointment as Assistant State Fire Marshal, Chief Sakamoto served as an Assistant Deputy Director.
In her new role Chief Sakamoto will oversee the following OSFM divisions: Code Development and Analysis, Fire and Life Safety, Pipeline Safety and CUPA, as well as State Fire Training. Her role will focus not only on supporting the teams she oversees, but in carrying out the mission, vision, and values of CAL FIRE. Chief Sakamoto will also work towards leading the Office in meeting State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant’s four key expectations: Communication, Customer Service, Consistency, and Trust.
Her fire service journey began in 1986 with the Florin Fire Protection District, where she served as a Fire Prevention Technician. In 1989, she commenced her state service with the OSFM as a Deputy State Fire Marshal, ultimately advancing through multiple leadership positions, including Deputy State Fire Marshal III - Specialist, Deputy State Fire Marshal III - Supervisor, and Division Chief. She has held the role of Chief for both the Fire Engineering Division and the Fire and Life Safety Division, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to safeguarding communities.
Chief Sakamoto has served as the Chair of the OSFM’s Sub-Joint Apprenticeship Committee and numerous OSFM advisory committees, including those focused on Automatic Extinguishing Systems, General Fireworks, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Alarms, Flame Retardants, and Special Effects. Additionally, she chaired the OSFM’s High Rise Task Force and the Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guideline Workgroup and co-chaired the Smoke Alarm Task Force, contributing significantly to state safety standards and practices. She is currently a member of California Fire Prevention Officers, and the International Code Council.
