Fire Department milestone: Let the staffing commence

BY Ariana Shah

With January 1 inching closer and closer, the Canyon Lake Fire Department has reached a significant milestone to the official opening of the department next year. Job openings to staff the brand-new fire department have been posted and interviews will begin next month. The department badge has also been designed and is based on several community member submissions.

The applicants have until Aug. 5 to submit their applications.

“We have this long application period to make sure everyone has an opportunity to apply,” Interim Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse said. “We’ve already received 10 to 15 applications since the weekend. We hope to see these numbers continue to grow.”

The job openings are for the firefighters and their leaders. Openings and the corresponding annual salary ranges being advertised are for one battalion chief ($83,200 – $101,129), three fire captains ($66,946.88 – $81,361.28), three fire engineers ($60,860.80 – $73,964.80), three firefighter/paramedics ($55,328.00 – $67,238.08) and 15 to 20 reserve firefighters (volunteers with stipends).

Applicants can access the applications through the city’s website.

Applications will be screened by Jeff and the city staff. The preferred applicants will be interviewed by a panel of those from the city and outside evaluators. These panelists have yet to be identified.

“We want every application to be filtered through to us,” Jeff said. “Everyone deserves a chance to apply. I cannot wait to learn about the future employees.”

An important quality Jeff is looking for in candidates is that all applicants have a background in fire science. All five of the different positions have a broad spectrum from entry-level to manager.

The current Canyon Lake Fire Station 60, which will be renamed Canyon Lake Fire Station 1 after the transition to a city-owned fire department, sits engulfed in a colorful sunset recently. The Canyon Lake Fire Department, which debuts officially on Jan. 1, has posted job openings for its firefighting personnel. Applicants have until Aug. 5 to submit the applications. Photo by Alan Coffield.

“The goal is to get the fire department up and running by January 1st next year,” Jeff said. “So I want to get my employees in and get them trained and familiarized with the community. I want them to know the streets, the buildings, and the people. I also want them to be involved with the city and its different functions.”

The work hours at the department are designed for commuters. It’s schedule abides by two days at work and four days off.

“Despite the 48-96 schedule, it would be great to have local employees,” Jeff said. “It’s so important to have our department deeply involved in this wonderful community.”

The application is a standard city application and follows the same guidelines and requirements of most Southern California fire departments.

Meanwhile, the finalized badge has been finalized and is being produced for the uniforms of those in uniform. The city held a contest a few months ago where members of the community were asked to submit designs for the new badge and patch. No single entry was chosen, but winners were named and inspiration for the new patch was gleaned from the various entries.