Fire District Basics

Posted by Pauline Hechler on Sep 02, 2016

Chief Cheryl Horvath has been serving as fire chief at Mountain Vista Fire District since January, 2016. Chief Horvath has been in the fire service since 1992, working as a full-time firefighter in Illinois where she served as union president for four years and as a field instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute. Chief Horvath is the past President of the Board of Trustees for the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services and a frequent speaker at the conference in leadership and fire ground tactics.

For the past eight summers, Chief Horvath worked with other local women firefighters and police officers to coordinate a public safety camp in Tucson for high school girls. The camp is designed to encourage girls and young women to consider non-traditional occupations. Camp Fury, initially funded through a grant from the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, is sponsored by local fire and law enforcement agencies and the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. Camp Fury is a national program available through local Girl Scout councils. In recent years two additional programs have been added. Catching Fury is a one-day program designed for middle school girls to introduce them to non-traditional occupations such as public safety. Camp Fury Executives serves young women who have completed Camp Fury and may need assistance with career building skills such as resume writing and interviewing.

Chief Horvath serves as Chair on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona and as a director on the Board of Directors for the January 8th Memorial Foundation. Chief Horvath was the recipient of the 2010 YWCA Women on the Move Award, for her service to the greater Tucson community.

Chief Horvath received the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation in July from the Center on Public Safety Excellence. She also holds a Master’s in Public Administration degree from Anna Maria College; a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Illinois; and an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from Parkland Community College.