Newly appointed Rocklin and Lincoln Fire Chief Bill Hack has been working in fire service for over two decades, but he didn’t always know this was the path he wanted to take. As a young man working as an environmental consultant, he was secretly drawn to the model of service set by his father, a police officer. “He was a man of few words, but I learned professionalism, honor, and integrity from him,” Hack reminisces. When a friend encouraged him to give the fire service a try, he barely gave it a second thought. As a former college football player, he was drawn to the athleticism of the job, not to mention the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps as a public servant. 

Chief Hack comes to the region after working his way up the ranks for over two decades with the Chico Fire Department. During last year’s wildfire season, the Rocklin and Lincoln departments sent apparatus and personnel to the hardest-hit areas, to help out wherever there was a need. He’s also active on numerous local and state boards—including the American Cancer Society Northern California Leadership Council—and is the area director for the California Fire Chiefs Association. As a father of two young boys, he aims to pass down the same values he learned from his own father. “I try to teach them honor and integrity.”  —Amber Foster

Q&A

Keep working hard—it pays off—and don’t be afraid to make mistakes: Wear your failures as armor not shackles.

What’s your biggest pet peeve? Lack of effort or commitment. 

What are you most proud of?
Being part of successful organizations and teams—working with selfless individuals continually committed to a cause greater than them. 

Favorite humanitarian cause? American Cancer Society.

Best words of wisdom you’ve received?
You either win or you learn. 

What’s next?
Keep striving for continual improvement—personally, professionally, and organizationally. 

Favorites

Guilty pleasure
Diet soda 

Meal in town
The Chef’s Table

Movie
We Were Soldiers

Musician/band
Old-school rap and hip hop

Local nonprofit
Firefighters Burn Institute

Saying
Ethos anthropos daimon (character is fate); In omnia paratus (ready for all things)