Jeff Birchfield to Lead SBCoFD Valley Division by Louis Penna - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Jeff Birchfield to Lead SBCoFD Valley Division

By Louis Penna, Community Writer
March 21, 2016 at 09:36am. Views: 270

San Bernardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeff Birchfield from Battalion Chief to Division Chief, assigned to Division 1 (Valley Division) effective March 19. As Division Chief, Birchfield will take responsibility for rescue operations, fire and emergency medical response in the Valley region. “I look forward to this next chapter, and am excited to be a part of the continual progression of this organization,” Division Chief Birchfield said. Division Chief Birchfield began his fire service career in 1991 as a paid-call firefighter for Station 37 in Mountain View Acres. He worked as a seasonal firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management on helicopter crew 554 in 1992, and then worked as a firefighter at Ft. Irwin Fire Department prior to coming to County Fire as an Engineer. In 2000, Birchfield accepted a position with Redondo Beach Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic. In 2005 he returned to County Fire and spent the next eight years as a Captain assigned to various stations throughout the county including the Training Division. In 2013, Birchfield promoted to Battalion Chief assigned to Division 2 where he has helped secure additional grant funds for the department, performed as an expert witness on multiple cases involving vehicle collisions, and sits as Vice Chair on the FIRESCOPE Task Force Throughout his career, Division Chief Birchfield has actively pursued higher education and training. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Management from Azusa Pacific University and graduated from the County’s Management Leadership Academy in 2012. Division 1 encompasses the western half of the San Bernardino Valley. The division has contiguous boundaries with the communities of San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario and shares its southern boundary with Riverside County. The Division is home to two of the County’s largest recreational venues, the California Speedway and the San Manuel Amphitheater. In addition, the communities of Devore, Lytle Creek, San Antonio Heights and Mt. Baldy are within or adjacent to the San Bernardino National Forest and offer major outdoor recreational activities both winter and summer. Four major highways—Interstate 10, Interstate 15, Interstate 215 and Interstate 210—bisect the Division. The mouth of Cajon Pass is the collection point for three major rail lines, power supply lines and pipelines, all of which traverse through the Valley Division on their way to serve Los Angeles and points south. The volume and complexity of responses has escalated annually for Division 1. County Fire personnel responded to 24,589 calls for service in Division 1 during the 2014-15 fiscal year, the most of any division. Jeff resides in Upland with his wife and two children. He enjoys traveling, boating, and golf when he’s not watching his children at their events.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: Steven Moore and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 777

Pacific High School students and staff celebrated a prestigious statewide honor on Sept. 17 as Justice Corey G. Lee, Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, personally presented the school with the 2026 California Civic Learning Award of Distinction. (l-r) San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Hon. R. Glenn Yabuno, San Bernardino County Superior Court Presiding Judge Rodney A. Cortez, Pacific High School teacher CJ Eastwood, Pacific High School Principal Dr. Natalie Raymundo, California Court of Appeals Associate Justice Corey G. Lee and San Bernardino Superior Court Executive Officer Anabel Z. Romero celebrated the school’s receipt of the 2026 California Civic Learning Award of Distinction during a special presentation ceremony.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 862

National Science Foundation-supported program provides hands-on geological research and career preparation near one of California's most significant fault systems. The mountains surrounding San Bernardino offer some of Southern California's most dramatic scenery, but beneath that landscape lies a geological system that has shaped the region for millions of years.

Photo Courtesy of: Dignity Health’s - Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center

By Amanda Spence, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 1368

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Oct. 27, 2026 – Dignity Health’s - Community Hospital of San Bernardino (CHSB) and St. Bernardine Medical Center (SBMC), members of CommonSpirit Health, announced today they earned 8 recognitions from Healthgrades, a national leading resource for patients seeking information about hospitals and physicians. The 2027 honors recognize their collective commitment to delivering clinical excellence and compassionate care to patients.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 253

A sweeping decision involving California's most serious criminal sentences has drawn strong opposition from San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson, placing the county's chief prosecutor at the center of a statewide debate over justice, victims' rights and executive authority.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 300

With winter approaching, emergency officials are coordinating flood prevention, roadway maintenance and public alerts to help residents prepare for dangerous weather. A heavy rainstorm can change the landscape of San Bernardino in a matter of hours. Streets that ordinarily carry commuters and school buses can become difficult to navigate, drainage channels can fill rapidly, and neighborhoods near foothills may face increased risks from flooding and debris.

Photo Courtesy of: San Bernardino's California Theatre from 1930

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 317

Nearly a century after opening its doors, the downtown landmark remains an important connection between the city's entertainment history and its cultural future. In downtown San Bernardino, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts stands as a reminder of a time when attending a movie or live performance was one of the most anticipated social occasions in a growing Southern California city.

Photo Courtesy of: BBOP Center

By Justus Baker-Postell, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 387

BBOP Information Session The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center, an Inland Empire economic and workforce development hub and a project of Time for Change Foundation, has launched Pathways to Prosperity, its Employment Training Pathway Program (ETPP), a comprehensive workforce initiative designed to connect residents facing barriers to employment with the skills, credentials, hands-on experience and employer relationships needed to enter and advance in high-demand careers.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 14, 2026 at 11:03am. Views: 1735

Festive University of Redlands Homecoming celebration, with alumni, students, and families gathered on campus wearing maroon Bulldogs apparel. A bulldog mascot greets attendees while cheerleaders and a marching band perform near decorated tents and balloons, with university buildings and mountains in the background.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:19pm. Views: 3198

The City of Redlands will host Plane-or-Treat at Redlands Municipal Airport on October 25, featuring trick-or-treating, entertainment and family activities. An AI-generated illustration

Photo Courtesy of: California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries Special Collections.

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:22pm. Views: 1391

As Redlands continues to grow, its surviving citrus groves offer a living connection to the industry that shaped the city's neighborhoods, economy and identity. Orange trees heavy with fruit line a grove in Redlands around 1900, with snow-covered Mount San Bernardino visible in the distance. The photograph documents the citrus industry that played a central role in the city's early development.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI-generated illustration of a downtown Redlands streetscape

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 638

The City of Redlands is accepting applications for a volunteer position on its Traffic and Parking Commission. November 5 Deadline Approaching.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - Illustrative image, not an actual enforcement operation.

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 631

New state-funded traffic safety program will target impaired driving, speeding, distracted motorists and dangerous behavior near pedestrians and bicyclists. A $94,300 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will support DUI checkpoints, distracted driving enforcement, pedestrian safety initiatives and officer training through September 2027.

--> -->