Operations Chief Terry McElwee

Phone: (805)969-7762

Email: TMcElwee@montecitofire.com.

Division Chief McElwee began his career in the fire service twenty four years ago. As a teenager he worked with the Youth Forest Prevention Program (YFPP) on a vegetation management hand crew. He started as a crew member with the Santa Barbara County Hot Shots in 1984. He then spent four years with the Bureau of Land Management gaining experience working on an engine company in Susanville and Apple Valley, two seasons on the Kern Valley Hot Shots and one season with the Apple Valley Heli-shots.

Terry came to Montecito Fire Protection District in September of 1988. He promoted to Engineer in 1991, to Captain in 1996 and to Battalion Chief in 2006. Chief McElwee was promoted to Division Chief in 2007 and currently oversees the operations division.

Chief McElwee sits on the Santa Barbara County committee for California Incident Command Certification System (CICCS) and is a Division Supervisor with a Type 2 Interagency Incident Management Team from the Los Padres National Forest.

Within the community Terry serves as Missions Director for Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara’s Missions program and enjoys coaching his children’s sports teams.