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.