Growing up in the North Ward of the City, Assistant Director Raul Malave knew that he was destined to become a public safety servant when, at the age of 7, his family’s Summer Avenue home caught on fire. He was astonished at the well-coordinated efforts and dedication exhibited by the responding police and fire personnel. It was then that he committed to becoming a public servant.

He applied for the position of police officer when he wasn’t immediately called by the Fire Department, but in 1995 his dream became a reality when the Newark Fire Department finally called upon him to serve as one of “Newark’s Bravest” and he gladly accepted. Over the next 21 years his meteoric rise took him from entry-level firefighter to fire captain and then to battalion chief where he served as the executive officer for both the Fire Director and Fire Chief’s Offices. There he gained extensive experience in all administrative aspects of the agency including budget preparation, recruitment, discipline, short and long term strategic planning, training, apparatus and equipment acquisition, and community outreach programming.

As the newly appointed Assistant Director of Public Safety, he embarks on the most challenging assignment of his life; helping to oversee the Police Division, Fire Division, and the Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. Under the leadership of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, Assistant Director Malave has already identified efforts to streamline efficiency and implement shared services throughout the department by creating plans where the day-to-day operations of all three disciplines blend and become seamless while affecting the overall success and future of the department. Assistant Director of Public Safety Raul Malave III is ready for this new challenge. During his 21 years he has received many awards and has received significant training in Emergency Management and Urban Search and Rescue to name a few.