Canyon Lake nabs Interim Fire Chief pro

Perhaps the biggest hurdle has been cleared in the city creating its own municipal fire department in the hiring of the person who will lead the effort. Jeff LaTendresse, a 30-year professional in the fire department world, has been put under contract as the City Interim Fire Chief of the infant Canyon Lake Fire Department.

The City of Canyon Lake announced the hiring on Wednesday and introduced the new fire chief to the city at its City Council Meeting that night. Chief LaTendresse will work under the direction of City Manager Chris Mann and alongside city staff members and the City Council’s Fire Ad Hoc Committee, to establish a city municipal fire department.

Chief Jeff LaTendresse

The fire department is owned and operated by the City of Canyon Lake and it is the city’s intention of going live with the new Canyon Lake Fire Department on Jan. 1. The city has been under contract with Riverside County Fire/Cal Fire for its fire and emergency medical services since the city was formed over 30 years ago.

The county will continue to provide the services for the City of Canyon Lake during this 11-month transition, with the county contract expecting to end when the new Canyon Lake Fire Department takes over the first of the year.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the unique opportunity to start a brand-new fire department for the residents of this amazing city,” Chief LaTendresse said. “We are going to create a department that is responsive, engaged in the community and financially sustainable. This will be a fire department Canyon Lakers can be proud to call their own.”

Chief LaTendresse comes to Canyon Lake with 30 years of fire and EMS experience, having held almost every position in the fire service while working his way up the ranks in departments throughout Southern California.

“We’re going to bring in experienced, qualified and well-trained people,” he said at the council meeting. “We’re going to get new equipment, we’re going to have a beautiful facility that we’re going to work on and make our own. We’re going to be proud of our service to the community.”

Chief LaTendresse was chosen out of a candidate pool of 38 applicants. The top six applicants were invited to interview in front of a seven-member panel consisting of City Manager Chris Mann, the assistant city managers of the cities of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar, the Assistant County Executive Officer for Public Safety, the fire chief for the City of Murrieta and the two members of Canyon Lake City Council who serve on the City’s Fire Ad Hoc Committee.

“Chief LaTendresse stood out from the very beginning of the application process,” Chris said. “While we received a strong number of qualified applicants, Chief LaTendresse’s background and experience, his performance during the interview, and his professional approach and demeanor, made him the clear choice.”

Chris said Chief LaTendresse impressed the interview panel and demonstrated he possessed the right knowledge, attitude and work ethic for the job.

“I’m confident that we found the right individual to help us start-up our Canyon Lake Fire Department,” Chris said.

Chief LaTendresse retired from the Laguna Beach Fire Department in 2017, where he served in various positions for 20 years, the last five years as fire chief.

“I realized I missed being involved in the community, I missed being a firefighter,” he said at the council meeting. “So now, I want to…do something that  very few people really get to do…start a fire department from the beginning, from scratch. I’m honored, I’m humble, I’m excited and ready to go to work.”

Prior to Laguna Beach, he worked for the Cathedral City and Indio Fire Departments, McCormick Ambulance Service, the Apple Valley Fire Protection District and the Redondo Beach Fire Department.

“While we have a lot of work ahead of us over the next 11 months, I believe strongly that this is the right move for Canyon Lake,” Chief LaTendresse said about the establishment of the city’s own fire department. “I am confident that we will be able to put together a highly-professional department that provides the same or higher level of service than what the city is currently receiving…at a reduced cost to taxpayers.”

At the conclusion of Chief LaTendresse’s 11-month contract with the city, he is eligible to apply for the permanent fire chief position if he chooses to do so.