Chief Nava was born and raised in San Diego and has lived and worked in East County most his career. Coming from a family deeply rooted in the fire service he started at the age of 14 as a fire explorer and volunteer firefighter. He worked for several years with the U. S. Forest Service here in San Diego before he began his full-time career. Nick worked for the Viejas Fire Department before getting the distinct privilege to work for the San Miguel Fire District. Over his 22-year career he has worked through the ranks achieving his lifelong career goal of promoting to the position of Battalion Chief. Both being able to lead and mentor the crews he works so closely with and Operationally have a daily impact to emergency management within the District is one of the highlights of his career thus far.

As the Battalion Chief of the Training Division, Nick helps coordinate the training priorities for the District. He has been a State Instructor in multiple disciplines, most notably the Fire Control 3 cadre and a Heartland Academy Lead Instructor for over 15 years. Having attended and graduated the Palomar College Fire Program, he now teaches throughout the year at Miramar College, giving back to the new generation of fire service.

Chief Nava maintains a diverse operational background and holds several overhead qualifications. He participates in Incident Management Teams, responding to fires and other emergencies throughout the year collaborating with other agencies and disciplines to mitigate disasters.

In his free time, he spends time with his family and friends camping, going to the desert, and traveling.