After more than a quarter-century of service to the City of Folsom, Fire Chief Ken Cusano is preparing to hang up his helmet for the last time. His retirement marks the end of a chapter not only for the department but for a community that has watched him grow from a young firefighter-paramedic into a steady, trusted leader.
For thousands of residents, Cusano has been a reassuring presence through wildfires, emergencies, and everyday calls for help—an unwavering figure in the city’s story of growth and resilience. With retirement just days away, he sat down with Folsom Times to reflect on his career, his community, and the life he now looks forward to beyond the firehouse.
“Serving the Folsom community has been a privilege and an honor,” Cusano reflected. “Leading this department and working alongside such a dedicated team of professionals has been the most rewarding chapter of my career. Together, we have built strong community partnerships, embraced innovation, and helped ensure that Folsom remains a safe place to live, work, and visit.”
Cusano’s journey to the Folsom Fire Department is deeply rooted in the community. Raised in Cameron Park, he attended Folsom High School and Sacramento State, forging strong ties to the region. His earliest memories of the fire department are woven into his youth. “I played all the different sports in high school, and especially during football season, the fire station back then used to be on Coloma,” he recalled. “Those guys would drive their truck out, open that side gate, and park right by the field to watch the game in case of a medical emergency. That’s what I remember—they were always there. It was kind of neat back then.”
Despite these early impressions, firefighting was not always Cusano’s plan. “At the time, I had no plan to be a fireman,” he said. “My original plan was to go into the military and follow in my dad’s footsteps. He had retired Air Force and was flying for commercial airlines by then.” But a friend’s interest in taking an emergency medical technician class changed everything. “I had already gone through college and was working at a structural and civil engineering firm. I read what the class was about and thought, that sounds interesting. So we did it. That really sparked my interest.”
As his engineering firm slowed down, Cusano found himself working for a new ambulance company in the area and eventually went through paramedic school. He worked in Citrus Heights with American River Fire’s 911 system before finding his way back to Folsom. “I did my paramedic internship with Folsom and knew a lot of people here,” he said. “Assistant Chief Bill Murdock’s son was a year behind me in high school, and Bill would always come out to the baseball games and ask me to join the fire department. I just never did—until I was with AMR and applied here. I got lucky and was hired in 1998.”
From there, the progression came steady and earned: firefighter-paramedic to engineer, captain in 2006, division chief in 2016, then training and administration—experience that would set the stage for taking the chief’s badge in October 2020.
Cusano’s career with the Folsom Fire Department has been marked by a steady climb through the ranks. He has held a variety of roles, including arson investigator, personal protective equipment program manager, and paramedic preceptor. He served as firefighter/paramedic, engineer, captain, and division chief before taking on leadership of training and administration. In October 2020, he was appointed fire chief, overseeing a department of more than 90 employees.
During his tenure, Cusano guided the department’s growth, strengthened community engagement, and expanded both the arson investigator and tactical SWAT medic programs. He played a key role in the design and construction of Fire Stations 39 and 34 and the remodel of Station 38. He also promoted public safety by adopting a social host ordinance to deter illegal fireworks and implementing seasonal closures of open space areas during periods of extreme fire danger. Cusano has represented Folsom on the Sacramento County Fire Chiefs Association and is a member of the California Fire Chiefs Association.
Felipe Rodriguez, now chief of the Cosumnes Fire District, was Folsom’s most recent chief prior to Cusano taking the role. Rodriguez worked closely with Cusano for several years and praised him for his work ethic and dedication.
“Chief Cusano served the Folsom community for decades. From playing football at Folsom High to working his way up through the ranks, he has always been about the Folsom community,” Rodriguez said. “He was an amazing right-hand man when I served as Fire Chief; a loyal, hardworking public servant. Always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind when he was selected to serve as Fire Chief.”
Cusano’s dedication did not go unnoticed within the department, either. “Felipe, during his transfer of power, commented that I used to beat him to work,” Cusano said with a laugh. “It’s just hard to leave something you love. My wife has been pestering me for years to retire, but I’ve never really felt the way she did about her job. I’ve always loved coming to work.”
The department Cusano leaves behind is much younger and more dynamic than when he joined. “There’s a lot of individuals with five or fewer years in the fire service—probably almost half our department. It’s very different than when I started, when there were a lot of veterans. I was one of the younger ones, but I also started a little later than most. Now, a lot of these guys are coming in at 23 or 24 years old.”
With nearly half the force at five years or less, succession planning became a daily discipline. Cusano leaned on a tightened recruitment pipeline, updated promotional testing, and a heavier emphasis on company-officer development to keep experience flowing forward.
He has seen Folsom Fire grow and evolve, especially in recent years. “When I first started, we had the four stations for so long, and there was net zero growth. Everybody was kind of young—no promotions, nothing for the longest time,” he said. “Over the last seven or eight years, we’ve added two stations, a medic unit, and all kinds of personnel. We’ve had a tremendous amount of turnover. Every single year since I’ve been chief, we’ve been doing promotions and hiring. It’s been a non-stop cycle, which is good for morale. People know they can progress in their career.”
That surge included opening Fire Stations 39 and 34, standing up an additional medic unit, and remodeling Station 38—visible markers of a growing city stretching south of Highway 50 and east into new neighborhoods.
The evolution of the fire service has kept pace with changes in the community and the environment. “Firefighting and fire conditions have definitely changed. We didn’t talk about lengthy fire seasons back then like we do now,” Cusano said. “California’s had very little vegetation management, and with cycles of drought, everything gets so dry. The big wildland fires are almost impossible to extinguish—you have to wait until they hit a natural barrier or cut dozer lines. It’s all aircraft now. Once it’s out, then people can go in and help with hot spots.”
“I’m talking statewide on those mega-fires,” he added. “Inside Folsom we’ve been fortunate. South of the freeway used to be all grassland—now development has reduced that particular risk even as we remain vigilant in the city’s higher-hazard pockets.”
Advances in technology and best practices have changed firefighting, especially for structure fires. “Fires burn much faster in homes now because of synthetic materials. It’s hotter, quicker, and produces really unhealthy smoke. But our protective gear has kept up, and a lot of research and new testing has helped save our guys and get things extinguished quicker.”
Under Cusano’s leadership, the Folsom Fire Department became the first in the region to introduce a peer support dog and adopt a proactive approach to firefighter mental wellness, demonstrating a commitment to supporting the health and resilience of its personnel. He also helped develop recruitment, training, and promotional testing processes that have shaped the department’s future leadership.
“When we got Blitz here, he was the first peer support dog regionally,” Cusano said. “We started that with Blitz and Mark, and after that, every other department seemed to jump on board.” He credits advocates inside the ranks—and a simple pitch to the city manager that the program would cost the department nothing while paying dividends in wellness.
Cusano has seen firsthand how local development and public opinion shape the fire department’s work. He recalled Rodriguez’s experience with social media and public commentary: “Felipe made a comment at a council meeting about how houses, roads, and lawns would mean less fire, and people tore him up on Folsom chat. But he was right—those areas used to burn every year.”
He also notes the complexity of issues like illegal fireworks and zoning controversies. “People don’t realize how much things like illegal fireworks and zoning impact the department. It gets complicated.”
City Manager Bryan Whitemyer praised Cusano’s impact on Folsom. “Chief Cusano has been a steady presence and a trusted leader in our community,” Whitemyer said. “The Folsom community is safer and stronger because of his dedication to public safety and innovative leadership. As he enters a well-earned retirement, we recognize his lasting impact on our city and wish him all the best.”
After his retirement, Cusano plans to enjoy a slower pace. “I’d like to do a little bit of traveling—stay around the United States, visit different states, and see things along the way. After that, it’s more about relaxing, playing a little more golf, and just enjoying myself. The dogs are part of that, too. They want to see a beach at some point,” he said with a smile.
“George and Louis come to work with me every day,” he added. “They’re mellow. I think they’re ready to see a beach, too.” The plan is simple: more road miles inside the U.S., a steadier tee time, and fewer 3 a.m. tones.
As he prepares to step away, Cusano is clear: he’s not looking back. “I’m officially retiring. I’m not going to do any of that type of stuff. I’m going to enjoy life, definitely.”
He leaves behind a department transformed by growth, technology, and a renewed focus on wellness, as well as a community that has been safer for his service.
“It’s hard to leave something you love,” Cusano said. “But it’s been good. I’ve always loved coming to work, and I’ve had a good time. I’ve learned a lot. I’m grateful for the people I’ve worked with and the opportunity to serve.”
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