Mark Lorenzen joined the Menlo Park Fire Protection District in February 2022, after serving for thirty-one years with the Ventura County Fire Department, where he spent the last ten years as Fire Chief. During his time in Ventura County, Chief Lorenzen led critical responses to major incidents, including the 2017 Thomas Fire (the largest fire in California history at the time), 2018 Borderline shooting and the Woolsey Fire. He also served as a Safety Officer and Division Group Supervisor on a Federal Incident Management Team.

As the Fire Chief for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, Chief Lorenzen is responsible for the general management and oversight of the District.  He has a healthy inclination to question the status quo and continuously seeks ways to improve the services we provide our communities. 

Chief Lorenzen has a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. 

A former 52-year resident of Santa Barbara, Chief Lorenzen now lives in Menlo Park and has three grown children.