This Article Brought To You By: Mountains Community HospitalBy Scott LimpusOctober 23, 2019The Running Springs Fire Department recently said goodbye to retiring George Corley, who was the District Chief for the past 7 years, and welcomed Mike Vasquez as his replacement. Mike has served as the Department’s Battalion Chief for almost 5 years. Cindy Strebel has been promoted to Battalion Chief to replace Mike.
Chief Mike Vasquez is a longtime mountain resident and has been a firefighter for 26 years. He started his career in 1992 working with the Crest Forest Fire District as a Paid-Call Firefighter until 1997. In 1993, Chief Vasquez began working as a Wildland Firefighter for the United States Forest Service. He spent most of his career with the Forest Service working on the San Bernardino National Forest. During his last year with the Forest Service, he spent 6 months on the Los Padres National Forest as a Battalion Chief. Chief Vasquez resigned from the Forest Service in November 2014 to serve as Battalion Chief to the Running Springs Fire Department.Ironically, Chief Vasquez did not always want to be a firefighter. Even though his father was a Captain with the Crest Forest Fire Department, he wanted to be a Wildlife Biologist. However, the strong influence of growing up in a firefighting family changed his career path. He saw individuals who displayed commitment and service and he knew that he wanted to be a part of that.Chief Vasquez has made a career of serving people and making a difference in the community. He believes that this is the challenge for every firefighter. As the District Chief, he intends to provide the Department with the leadership, support, and training required to preserve the legacy of the Running Springs Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Cindy Strebel has been a firefighter for 24 years. She began her career in 1995 as a Paid-Call Firefighter with Running Springs Fire Department. In 2001, she was hired by the Department as a full-time firefighter-paramedic. In 2008, Battalion Chief Strebel was promoted to Captain.Battalion Chief Strebel became an Emergency Medical Technician in 1995 with no intention of making emergency services a career. In high school, she didn’t know what she wanted to do, although she likes helping people. She was a seasonal Ski Patroller at Snow Valley, which she ended up doing for 18 years while working at RSFD. While she was in EMT school, a friend of hers who was a PCF at RSFD told her that they were hiring and encouraged her to apply. As Battalion Chief Strebel worked as a PCF, she learned more about the job enjoyed the opportunity to serve the community, so she then decided it was what she wanted to do for a career.Battalion Chief Strebel loves the people she works with, being a firefighter, and running calls. She says that the excitement, the sometimes unexpected nature of calls, and the challenge of thinking on her feet and adapting to different situations are the things she likes the best about being a firefighter.Battalion Chief Strebel believes she can make a positive impact on the Department by providing strong leadership, leading by example, and serving the community in which she both works and lives. Her vision for Running Springs Fire Department is to continue to provide excellent service to the community, spend the citizen’s money wisely, support those firefighters she is responsible for, and encourage training, growth, and pride in the Department.