USFS Chief Michael Dietrich's Retirement Party

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After thirty-three years of service to the US Forest Service, Michael Dietrich retired from his position as Fire Chief of the San Bernardino National Forest, a position he held for the past ten years.  In celebration of his career, his fellow firefighters recently held a dinner for him at the Mill Creek Cattle Company Restaurant in Mentone, California.

Reflecting on his career, Dietrich says, "It's been a whirlwind.  I started in very rural North Dakota from a population of 13 to western Oregon with a timber industry and fire management, and then the ultimate challenge in Southern California.  It's been fabulous. If anyone was to have said I was to end up in Southern California after being in rural North Dakota, growing up in western New York, I never would have thought that."

The goal of Dietrich's career has always been to make a difference for firefighters and for the fire service in general.  His colleagues hold him in high regard and praise him as a true leader in the firefighting community. Jeanne Wade Evans, the Supervisor for the San Bernardino National Forest, says, "Mike is one of the most strategic thinkers I've had the pleasure of working with in my entire career.  He really sees the big picture.  He sees all of the people that need to be involved and he knows how to bring them together, and that's one of Mike's strong points and something that is very good in the private sector."

During his retirement party, a Forest Service Honor Guard Salute was performed, and Dietrich was presented with a United States flag that was flown over Washington D.C. and over every fire station and office of the San Bernardino National Forest. He was also given a specially engraved structure firefighter's axe.

When asked what advice he would give other firefighters, he said, "There is no finish line.  Keep pushing ahead and do the best for what is right in your heart.  Serve your firefighters and serve the public."

True to those words, Chief Dietrich agreed to assist the La Verne Fire Department in Los Angeles County shortly after his retirement and is currently consulting there as the Deputy Operations Chief.  He also kept his position as a Fire Chief for the California Interagency Incident Management Team #5, and with the Station Fire ravishing Los Angeles, he has answered the call of duty and is the Incident Commander, leading hundreds of firefighters in this massive fire fight.


Author:Bill Lorin - FDNNTV.com