Born and raised in San Antonio, Casarez, joined the City of Boerne in March 2023 from the Universal City Fire Department where he served as Fire Chief since 2016. Over the course of his career, he has been a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, and has extensive experience teaching and serving in management and administrative capacities. Upon joining the Universal City Fire Department in 2004 as a volunteer, he was hired on in a full-time capacity in 2006, was promoted to lieutenant the following year. During this time, Casarez was a lead instructor, program coordinator, and adjunct faculty member at San Antonio College’s Fire Science Program.
Casarez received Firefighter of the Year in 2007 and was Fire Officer of the Year in 2013 and 2014. He holds certifications from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection as a Fire Instructor levels I, II, III; Wildland Firefighting; Incident Safety Officer; Advanced Fire Inspection; Master Firefighter; and Head of Suppression and Prevention. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University – San Antonio with a degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration, a graduate of Texas State University’s Certified Public Manager Program, and has successfully completed the Texas Fire Chief’s Academy.