By Justin Hill
Contra Costa Times
Copyright 2007 Contra Costa Newspapers
All Rights Reserved
In his 16 years as an El Cerrito firefighter, Lance Maples said he has had opportunities to move to larger departments but “absolutely zero desire.”
Maples likens his colleagues in the 37-employee department to a family and says El Cerrito and Kensington — which houses one of the department’s three stations — provide him with plenty of challenges.
“I always found myself satisfied here,” said Maples, 38, who has held every possible rank in the department. Last month he was named the department’s new chief by City Manager Scott Hanin.
The city planned a nationwide search for a chief to replace Mark Scott, who assumed the post in 1999 and retired in December. Maples was serving as interim chief when Hanin decided that the best thing for the city was to appoint Maples to the position permanently.
“That was based on his performance and very strong recommendations from a number of folks,” Hanin said. Maples will earn $146,436 a year as chief.
Maples received endorsements from all of the department’s battalion chiefs, the Kensington Fire Protection District Board of Directors, the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230.
“He’s a firefighter’s fire chief,” said Ray Iverson, vice president of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, which represents the El Cerrito Fire Department. “There’s no turmoil. There’s no us against them. ... It’s teamwork.”
According to Iverson, Maples is willing to pursue innovative ideas and keep pace with new technology and industry standards, has a good working relationship with everyone in the department, and has been open-minded, communicative and available to listen to suggestions and ideas.
Maples comes from a public safety family. His brother, Shawn, is a sergeant in the El Cerrito Police Department and their father was an officer in Richmond. The new chief said he knew he wanted to work in public service but was attracted to firefighting because of the emergency-response aspect of the job.
He became a volunteer firefighter in Pinole in 1989, and during the 1990 fire season, he was a wildland firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Maples started his career with the Fairfield Fire Department but left for El Cerrito in 1991 after six months. He said he made the change because his brother told him El Cerrito was a great place to work. Their grandparents were also from the city.
When Scott retired in December, Maples was a battalion chief and the operations chief who wrote policies and handled special projects, among other duties.
“He wanted the job,” Hanin said. “His goal has been to be fire chief.”
Maples inherits a department in “really good shape,” he said.
In addition to making sure he helps his employees meet their needs, Maples’ goals include enhancing the department’s Community Emergency Response Team program and ensuring that training development is working at the highest level possible.
“It’s a good situation,” he said. “There’s some good times ahead for us.”