The City of Canyon Lake will be launching its own fire department on January 1, 2022. During Monday’s City Council meeting, Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse introduced Michael Samuels as the new 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. He was part of the team that lead the fire department through a growth period while the city grew.
Samuels has been 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.
Samuel has an associate’s degree in fire technology and a bachelor’s degree in fire protection administration.
Samuels was hired by the City of Canyon Lake in mid-November and has taken the lead in the Training/Orientation Academy, allowing LaTendresse to continue working on other items that still need attention prior to the launch of the new fire department.
Samuels resides in the City of Murrieta with his wife, Rhonda.
