Today at 8 a.m., the City of Canyon Lake will launch its own fire department. Station 60 will be renamed Station 1.
The department will launch with 11 sworn personnel, 15 reserve firefighters, an administrative assistant/analyst, one Type 1 fire engine, one Type 6 wildland fire engine, two command vehicles, one reserve engine, and three shifts comprised of a fire captain, fire engineer, and firefighter/paramedic.
Dispatching and communication services will not change, according to the city. The city will continue utilizing the Riverside County/Cal Fire Emergency Command Center in Perris for all dispatching needs. “By contracting with the County of Riverside, which is currently dispatching for Riverside County/Cal Fire, all the equipment at the fire station and fire engine remain the same,” the city said. “The radios are properly programmed and the station alerting system is in place.”
The city’s new Engine 1 arrived last week. On December 21, Engine 60 was transitioned as a reserve engine and renamed Engine 201. Engine 201 will be used for a week or two while equipment is being installed on the new Engine 1.
The department will be led by Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse, who the city hired in February 2021 as a consultant/interim fire chief to help form the new fire department. He was sworn in as the department’s new fire chief during the November 3, 2021, City Council Meeting. During his transition from interim fire chief to fire chief, LaTendresse and his wife, Mindy, purchased a home and relocated to Canyon Lake.
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. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served abroad as a fire protection specialist responding to aerospace, structural, and medical emergencies.
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. Prior to that, LaTendresse served as a battalion chief and fire marshal for the Cathedral City Fire Department, an engineer and paramedic for the Indio Fire Department, an emergency medical technician for McCormick Ambulance Service, a paid-call firefighter for the Apple Valley Fire Protection District, and a fire explorer for the Redondo Beach Fire Department.
In November 2021, the city hired Michael Samuels to serve as the department’s battalion chief. Raised in Santa Ana, Samuels is an Orange County native. After graduating from the Santa Ana Fire Academy, he was hired by the Corona Fire Department in 1987.
Samuel has an associate’s degree in fire technology and a bachelor’s degree in fire protection administration. He has served as a firefighter, engineer, captain, and battalion chief. He retired from the Corona Fire Department in 2017 but continued teaching at the Santa Ana Fire Academy and worked as a fire consultant for Citygate Associates.
The department’s three new captains, Chris Bertrand, Humberto Sanchez, and Brennain Gorter, were sworn in on December 6, 2021. Bertrand served with the Kern County Fire Department for more than 21 years, the last seven as a fire captain. During his time with Kern County, Bertrand earned two associate’s degrees, a bachelor’s degree, and responded to numerous large vegetation fires. “Captain Bertrand also works with the City of Newport Beach as a pilot on a harbor patrol boat and we hope to use that experience in the future,” LaTendresse said.
Sanchez worked with the Huntington Beach Fire Department for 28 years. He retired earlier this year as a fire engineer. During his time in Huntington Beach, Sanchez, a certified hazardous materials specialist, worked for many years on the hazardous materials team. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science and is a certified fire officer.
Gorter comes to Canyon Lake from the Morongo Valley Fire Department and the Yermo Calico Fire Department. He has more than five years of experience as a captain. Gorter has an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, and is an emergency medical technician instructor at a community college. “In his previous department where he was also a captain/paramedic, he served as the EMS coordinator, a role we have tapped him to fill here,” LaTendresse said.
The city plans to renovate the fire station. Once the renovations are complete, the city will hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. To stay connected with the Canyon Lake Fire Department, visit www.facebook.com/canyonlakefire and www.instagram.com/canyonlakefire.
