Zayante Fire Department History

After 33 years serving Santa Cruz and Felton fire districts, longtime local Dan Walters is overseeing the Zayante Fire Protection District. He succeeded outgoing chief John Stipes at the end of July 2021.

Walters has lived in the San Lorenzo Valley since 1972 and attended local schools. He’s been here all his life save for a stint in the Army. His career in fire service began as a volunteer for Felton Fire in 1984 then as a seasonal firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), now called Cal Fire. At the City of Santa Cruz since 1988, Walters worked his way through roles as firefighter, engineer, captain, investigator, and deputy fire marshall. He served on the board of directors at Felton Fire Protection District for the last seven years right up until accepting the lead position with Zayante.