Michael A. Contreras sworn in as new chief of Cathedral City Fire Department
Cathedral City's new fire chief has been sworn in.
Michael A. Contreras was officially sworn in to the position during Wednesday's city council meeting.
"I want to let everyone know how excited not only I am, but my wife, and the opportunity to you bestowed on us because I look at it as a huge opportunity," Contreras said.
Contreras was hired in September after a national search. He spent more than 30 years with the Orange County Fire Authority.
"Not that everything from my past is about being here, but I think all that's prepared me to really serve only the fire department, which is rich in history, but also serve this diverse community," Contreras said.
During his time with OCFA, Contreras has been an integral leader when it comes to succession planning, performance management, employee mental and physical wellness, along with managing a variety of emergency management challenges.
Just before his hiring, he managed the day-to-day operations of a large, diverse geographic division serving more than 247,000 residents. Contreras was also responsible for oversight of nine fire stations who respond to more than 20,000 calls each year.
Contreras has held many different assignments for the OCFA, including training officer, recruit academy instructor, academy fitness coordinator, academy coordinator, department safety officer, hazardous material specialist and assistant public information officer and is a member of the department’s urban search and rescue (USAR) team.
Contreras succeeds current Fire Chief John Muhr, who retired last month after 12 years with the Cathedral City Fire Department.
