Steven LaPenta, BA, CPM Battalion Fire Chief | Hazardous Materials & Special Operations | NJ State Certified Fire Instructor
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Steven LaPenta is a career fire-service leader currently serving as a Battalion Fire Chief with the Newark Department of Public Safety, Fire Division. In this role he provides command-level leadership on the fireground and across multiple specialized disciplines. He also serves in the hazardous materials division, the training division, and the special-operations division. Beyond his departmental assignments, he holds leadership positions within the New Jersey UASI Fire CBRNE program, the New Jersey Fire Threat Task Force, and as a New Jersey State Certified Level 2 Fire Instructor.
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His operational responsibilities include responder safety, incident command support, public protection, force protection, decontamination, environmental monitoring, scene management, training development, and resource planning for high-risk fire, hazardous-materials, and CBRNE response operations. Whether directing routine structure fires or complex multi-agency incidents, Steven focuses on clear decision-making, coordinated action, and the protection of both the public and the responders under his command.
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Steven brings more than 37 years of progressive fire-service experience. His career has included service as a police/fire dispatcher, firefighter, fire captain, battalion chief, hazardous-materials responder, instructor, and command-level leader. This broad foundation has given him hands-on expertise in fireground operations, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, vehicle extrication, incident safety, emergency scene documentation, responder-safety decision-making, and command supervision in both routine and high-risk environments.
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He also maintains practical familiarity with how emerging vehicle and energy technologies, electric, hybrid, fuel-cell, gaseous-fueled, and lithium-ion battery systems affect size-up, suppression tactics, extrication techniques, EMS interface, towing considerations, storage hazards, and post-incident management. This knowledge allows him to prepare crews for the evolving risks they face in modern emergency response.
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Steven’s leadership is grounded in three core principles: safety first, continuous development, and accountable presence.
He believes that the primary duty of any fire-service leader is to bring every member of the crew home safely at the end of the shift. Technical competence and tactical skill matter, but they are secondary to sound judgment, disciplined risk assessment, and a culture that prioritizes the well-being of responders. He views training and professional growth not as periodic requirements but as ongoing obligations. Whether instructing new firefighters or mentoring fellow officers, Steven emphasizes practical, scenario-based learning that prepares people for the conditions they will actually face.
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Finally, he holds that leadership is most effective when it is visible and accountable. Being present on the fireground, clear in communication, and willing to own both successes and shortcomings builds the trust required for high-performing teams. In complex, high-stakes environments, particularly those involving hazardous materials or CBRNE threats. This combination of safety focus, developmental mindset, and personal accountability forms the foundation of effective command.