John Crater Appointed As Temecula Fire Division Chief

TEMECULA, CA — Temecula has a new fire chief. John Crater was appointed to division chief for the city of Temecula, effective May 11, it was announced Wednesday.

Crater replaces Interim Division Chief Bill Weiser, who stepped in temporarily to serve Temecula. Weiser will now resume his post as Division Chief for Bautista/San Jacinto.

“Although the COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s mind, we have not lost sight that fire safety and protection from wildland fires remain a critical priority for our region, and I’m pleased to
announce Chief Crater brings 26 years of frontline public safety expertise to Temecula,” said Temecula Mayor James "Stew" Stewart.

According to the city, Crater started his firefighting career in November 1994 as a volunteer firefighter at Station 9 Good Meadow in Riverside County. He was hired in 1999 by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), San Diego, as a seasonal firefighter in Deluz. In 2001, he began serving as a permanent firefighter II for the Riverside Unit in the Lake Elsinore battalion. He also worked in Battalions 2 and 13 as a fire apparatus engineer.

In 2008, Crater was promoted to fire captain in the Lake Elsinore battalion and worked at
Stations 11, 61, and truck 97. In 2017, he accepted a promotion to battalion chief working
in the cities of Desert Hot Springs and Lake Elsinore.

“I am confident that Chief Crater’s leadership style and long history of experience within Southwest Riverside County will be an asset to the city of Temecula,” said City Manager Aaron Adams.

Crater and his family reside in Southwest Riverside County, city officials said.