Letter of Appreciation from The American Legion Post 256

Tim McClelland named as San Bernardino Unit Chief

CAL FIRE’s San Bernardino Unit has a new Chief. He is Tim McClelland, the former Deputy Chief. Chief McClelland’s promotion was effective Monday, May 2, 2011. Chief McClelland takes over for retired Unit Chief Doug McKain.

Chief McClelland who has worked for CAL FIRE for 30 years brings a wealth of experience to his new position. He began his fire service career in 1981 as Volunteer Firefighter at the Sun City Fire Station in the Riverside Unit. From 1985 -2001 he worked in the Riverside Unit as a Fire Fighter I, Fire Apparatus Engineer and Fire Captain in various assignments including the Oak Glen Conservation Camp and the Riverside Unit Emergency Command Center in Perris.

In February 2001, he promoted to Battalion Chief in the Riverside Unit and held assignments in Coves Battalion 12 and the Perris ECC. In October 2003, he promoted to Assistant Chief at the CAL FIRE South Region Southern Operations Center assigned as the Operational Command Center Chief. Chief McClelland served as FIRESCOPE Communications Specialist Group Chair from 2004 - 2009.

In November 2005, he transferred to the San Bernardino Unit as the Assistant Chief in charge of the Pilot Rock Conservation Camp. His assignments during this time included oversight of the San Bernardino Unit’s Emergency Command Center and the East Valley Division including the contract cities of Highland and Yucaipa. He also has served as a member of CAL FIRE’s Agency Representative cadre for the past four years. Chief McClelland has served as Incident Commander of CAL FIRE Team 7 since July 2009. It was Incident Command Team 7 under Chief McClelland that successfully fought the Oak Glen III and Pendleton fires that threatened hundred of homes in the communities of Oak Glen and Yucaipa. He promoted to his most recent assignment as the San Bernardino Unit Deputy Chief in May 2009. As the Unit’s Operations Chief, he was also had the added additional oversight of the Unit’s Fire Prevention and Law Enforcement Bureau, Training and Safety Bureau, Desert Division, Owens Valley Division and Mobile Equipment Operation.

Chief McClelland lives in Beaumont with his wife Michelle and has 3 children, Kourtnee, Chelsea, a college freshman at Cal Baptist University in Riverside and Jackson a junior at Redlands East Valley High School.

Turn Wildfire Awareness into Wildfire Readiness

Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has declared May 1-7, 2011 "Wildfire Awareness Week". CAL FIRE is urging homeowners to be ready for wildfires. Wildfire Awareness Week is designed to not only remind Californians of the dangers wildfires pose, but also to educate them on how to prepare their property. In fact, CAL FIRE fought a 15 acre and 5 acre vegetation fire over this past weekend. This shows that the fire danger has already increased to where the field grasses are ready and able to burn.

The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit is bringing all of our fire stations up to High Fire Hazard staffing. Seasonal firefighters reported to work on Monday, May 2, 2011. They will go through refresher training this week to ready their skills for the approaching fire prone months. While it is important for the firefighters to hone their skills to be ready to fight fire, it is also important for the public to not only be wildfire aware, but to be wildfire prepared.

This year's theme for Wildfire Awareness Week is once again the nationwide fire preparedness campaign of "Ready, Set, Go!". Being ready for a wildfire starts by maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials. "This week is a great time for residents to start getting themselves ready for wildfire," said Chief Ken Pimlott. "It's the combination of both Defensible Space and the hardening of homes that give a home the best chance of surviving a wildfire." Annually, many homes face the potential of destruction by fire because they failed to be ready for wildfire.

California has experienced above average rainfall. The increased precipitation has left many areas abundantly green and overgrown. However, as warmer temperatures and drier conditions occur, the grass and brush begins drying out and the fire danger increases dramatically. "This year's fire season has not started as early as it has in years past" Said Chief Pimlott, CAL FIRE acting director. "That's why residents should take the time now, while the grass is still green, to make sure they are ready for California's wildfires."

Last summer, CAL FIRE launched a new website, http://www.readyforwildfire.org/ to assist homeowners in preparing for wildfires. The site offers steps residents should take to make their home more resistant to wildfires and to ensure that their family is ready to evacuate early and safely when a wildfire strikes. For more information visit http://www.fire.ca.gov/