Montecito Fire Promotes 3 Firefighters
April 16, 2013 - The Montecito Fire Protection District promoted three firefighters with a ceremony Monday afternoon during the Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors at Fire District Headquarters.
Todd Edwards was promoted to Shift Battalion Chief. Todd began his career in 1985, and worked as a paramedic in both Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. In September of 1991, he was hired as a firefighter/paramedic by Montecito Fire.
In addition to his paramedic skills, Todd has a depth of wildland firefighting knowledge that comes from many career accomplishments including his participation on a Type 1 Interagency Management Team for the past 10 years. As a Team member, Todd has responded to many large wildland fires all over the nation as well as other natural disasters, including 5 major hurricanes. He has completed and maintained California State Fire Officer and Chief Officer Certifications as well as thousands of hours of specialized training.
Todd continually strives to contribute to Montecito Fire in many ways: he has been the coordinator of past probationary Firefighter Academies and the Coordinator of the District's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Program. He also authored the District's Technical Rope Rescue Manual as well as the Executive Summary on Early Warning Notification Systems which led to the District's adoption of the HEARO home alert system.
Because of his continued dedication to the Fire Service, and the community of Montecito, Todd was recently recognized by the Montecito Rotary Club and honored with their Vocational Service Award. Todd and his wife Lorrie have 4 children: Greg, Nathan, Ambria, and Anjalie
Evan Skei was promoted to Captain. In June of 2001, Evan left American Medical Response (AMR) to become a firefighter/paramedic for the Montecito Fire District. As a firefighter/paramedic for the District, he became a USAR Medical Specialist Crewmember until he promoted to Engineer in May of 2010. During his tenure, he has earned and maintained California State Fire Officer Certification.
Evan has completed over 1,000 hours of specialized training and served on the District's Apparatus Committee and Electronic Patient Care Report (EPCR) Committee. He is currently the Vice-President of the Montecito Firemen's Association. Evan and wife Janelle have a 3 year old son Reid, and are expecting their second child in July.
Loren Bass was promoted to Engineer. Prior to being hired by Montecito Fire in March of 2002, Loren was a firefighter for Yosemite Fire, California Department of Forestry and the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District. He holds an Associate's Degree in Fire Science, and a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts.
Loren has earned and maintained California State Certifications as a Fire Officer, Hazardous Materials Specialist, and USAR Heavy Crewmember. He also completed the District's qualification process required for the promotion to the rank of Engineer. Loren has served on the South Coast HazMat team, the Mapping Cadre, the Apparatus Committee, the District Housing Committee, and the Station 3 Design Committee. He is currently the secretary for the Montecito Firemen's Association. He and his wife Carly are expecting their first child at the end of August.