Ryan Hamre appointed Hayward Fire Chief

HAYWARD, Calif., Nov. 17, 2025-Ryan Hamre, formerly the Deputy Fire Chief of the Hayward Fire Department (HFD), has been appointed to the role of Fire Chief, effective today.

Hamre, who brings to the role 24 years of fire service experience spanning operations, training, emergency management and administration, is the City of Hayward's 12th Fire Chief. He takes over the position from Interim Fire Chief Eric Vollmer, who has led HFD since Fire Chief Garrett Contreras retired on June 7, 2024.

As Hayward Fire Chief, Hamre will oversee fire suppression and emergency response/prevention services in the City of Hayward and Fairview Fire Protection District. HFD operates nine fire stations within its service area, including the Regional Fire Training Center at Fire Station 6.

Prior to his appointment as Fire Chief, Hamre rose through the fire service ranks, beginning as a Firefighter before becoming an Apparatus Operator, Captain, Battalion Chief and Deputy Chief. He is a California State Fire Marshal-certified Chief Fire Officer and serves as Deputy Task Force Leader with FEMA Urban Search & Rescue California Task Force 4.

Hamre holds a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from California State University, Chico. Hamre also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

For more about HFD and the services it offers, visit the HFD webpage here.