Diwan De La Torre named Cathedral City Firefighter of the Year
Cathedral City, CA (KESQ) – Cathedral City Fire & EMS named Diwan De la Torre as the 2024 Firefighter of the Year for his outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to the community.
De La Torre was honored with the award Wednesday during a city council meeting. City leaders, colleagues, and community members joined in celebrating his contributions and thanking him for his tireless service.
“We are incredibly proud to name Diwan De La Torre as our Firefighter of the Year,” said, Michael Contreras, Cathedral City Fire Chief. “His journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and dedication to service. He is not only an exceptional firefighter but also a role model for our department and the entire community.”
De La Torre was born and raised in Cathedral City. City officials said De La Torre has exemplified the highest standards of the fire service throughout his career.
"Raised by hardworking parents who made tremendous sacrifices to provide a better future, Diwan embraced that same determination and work ethic in his journey to becoming a firefighter.
His path to the fire service was anything but traditional. However, with the unwavering support of his family, he chose to pursue a career in emergency services, attending EMT school, paramedic training, and the fire academy ultimately achieving his dream of serving his hometown as a firefighter with Cathedral City Fire & EMS"
- Cathedral City
Since joining the department, De La Torre has been described as proven to be a leader, mentor, and community advocate.
In addition to his exceptional work on emergency incidents, he has been instrumental in training new firefighters and ensuring department-wide readiness through the Training Cadre, delivering life-saving education including Stop the Bleed courses and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training, and co-founding the Cathedral City Fire Cadet Program, helping to develop the next generation of first responders.
Diwan’s unwavering commitment to public safety, mentorship, and service has made a profound impact on both the department and the community, city officials added.
