Jeff Roberts Promoted To Elsinore Battalion Chief

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Lake Elsinore and surrounding communities have a new fire chief in town. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department's Jeff Roberts has been promoted to Chief of the Elsinore Battalion.

A veteran firefighter with nearly 30 years under his belt, Roberts' new gig includes multiple stations across Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Canyon Lake and into rugged El Cariso and Rancho Carillo. He has help covering the large swath — he's partnering with Battalion Chief Dan Harris.

Roberts' has an extensive background in wildland and rescue operations. He was a 10-year member of California's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 6, which was called upon for emergencies and disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms, tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and hazardous materials releases.

He serves as a branch director of the Riverside County All Hazard Type III Incident Management Team and has been a division/group supervisor for over 14 years.

He was also awarded the Medal of Heroism in 2005.

Starting in 2019, he was assigned to the Ben Clark Training Center in Riverside where he managed the Truck Academy and Special Rescue disciplines. For the prior nine years he served at Canyon Hills Fire Station 94. While there, he oversaw the Battalion 2 (Elsinore) Training Program.

His climb through the Cal Fire ranks started in 1990 after he graduated from the Crafton Hills College Fire Academy and obtained his EMT and State Fire Officer certifications. He worked as a "paid call" firefighter in the cities of Yucaipa and Grand Terrace until 1993 when he was hired as a firefighter I in the Riverside Unit, stationed at Perris Headquarters.

Roberts worked six seasons in the Perris Valley before accepting a firefighter II position in Yucaipa in 1998. In 2001, he transferred back to Riverside and worked on truck 17 in Glen Avon. He was promoted to engineer in 2003, working both in Battalion 1 and Battalion 14, until he was promoted to captain at Fire Station 4 in Riverside, where he oversaw training and the Battalion Volunteer Program. In 2009, he transferred to Moreno Valley Truck 58.

Roberts lives in the city of Canyon Lake with his wife of 22 years, Melissa, and their two daughters, Cayla, 16, and Kendall, 14.