Beginning his fire service career in 1992, Deputy Fire Chief Darin Wallentine leads the Sarasota County Fire Department Fire Administration Section. Chief Wallentine previously worked for the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) and led the TFD Safety & Wellness Division. Chief Wallentine’s 31-year fire service career brings a broad level of fire service experience and leadership and brings the same to the position of At-large Director for the IAFC Safety, Health, and Survival Section.
Chief Wallentine has earned a Master of Arts degree from Arizona State University in Public Safety Leadership and Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University at Fullerton. He has also completed the Eller Executive Southwest Leadership and Foundations of Public Sector Leadership Program at the University of Arizona.
At SCFD, Chief Wallentine provides administrative oversight in the areas of fire training, logistics, capital projects, fire prevention, and finance. Additionally, Chief Wallentine oversees SCFD safety and wellness programs, including occupational health through annual physicals, cancer research and prevention, behavioral health, and wellness. Lastly, Chief Wallentine is honored to participate in collaborative partnerships with researchers at the University of Arizona, the University of Miami, and NIOSH/CDC and be named a co-author on various peer-reviewed research projects. As a cancer survivor, Chief Wallentine is passionate about firefighter occupational cancer research and prevention and works closely with the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS.org).
Chief Wallentine is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the Safety, Health, and Survival Section (SHS), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and a Pro Board Certified Health and Safety Officer (HSO).