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Wrapping up 48 years with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, including 36 years as a firefighter, Rex Ianson is stepping down from the district governing board effective Aug. 31.
He said he and his wife, Cece, found a home in the small town of Sisters, Oregon, sooner than they expected and are expediting the relocation process.
In an interview, he cited great fly fishing, a quilting community, and less traffic as reasons the couple plans to move – at least for a one-year trial.
The fire board voted on June 20 to elect board member Rob Silano as the board’s vice president, succeeding Mr. Ianson in that position. The vote was 4-0-1, with board member Chuck Bernstein abstaining.
Departure questioned
Mr. Bernstein, questioned Mr. Ianson’s resignation as vice president prior to departing the board.
Having Mr. Ianson leave the board so suddenly, Mr. Bernstein said, creates the need for a special election, which can be costly, or the appointment of a new board member, who could have an incumbent’s advantage at the next election without having much experience.
Mr. Silano served as board president in 2016, while Mr. Bernstein, who has been on the board since 2013, has not served as vice president or president.
Mr. Ianson said in the interview that he decided to resign as vice president immediately and as a board member Aug. 31 because he and his wife plan to spend much of their time going back and forth between Menlo Park and Sisters, Oregon, and he can’t commit the time needed to be vice president.
“I’m resigning from the board because I don’t have consistency – I can’t give a definite commitment,” he said. “The citizens deserve better than that.”
Role on board
Mr. Ianson, who retired as a firefighter in 2003, joined the board in 2005.
During his tenure on the board, he said, he brought institutional knowledge about firefighting to other directors, and often explained how firefighting works to board newcomers.
“I think we’ve done a good job to bring people up to speed,” he said.
During his time as a firefighter, he said, there were two major changes in services provided by the district, which includes Atherton, East Palo Alto and unincorporated areas, in addition to Menlo Park.
One big change was the introduction of paramedic programs in the 1970s and 1980s, he said.
Public fire prevention campaigns reduced the incidence of fires, he said, and after more district firefighters went through paramedic training, the district’s services expanded to provide rapid emergency response for medical problems.
The other major change has been the addition of urban search-and-rescue programs. Many district firefighters have been trained to participate in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) search-and-rescue programs and have been sent to help during natural disasters and emergencies across the U.S.
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Guest opinion: For Menlo Park's Measure P or not for P, that is the questionOctober 4, 2026 11:02 am
Thank you for your service as a firefighter and board member. Congrats and enjoy retirement.
Rex has been a devoted public servant for almost 50 years serving not only as a firefighter but as a key member of the Fire District sponsored FEMA National Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 3 as well as on the Fire Board.
Thank you Rex for your incredible tenure of public service!
Maybe there’s a reason why Mr. Bernstein has not been voted for as President or Vice President by his peers? Voters in the district should remember this when voting for his re election. It appears all other fire board members have held all positions as President and Vice President? Why?
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