Message from Fire Chief Andy Parr
Welcome to our Lakeside Fire Protection District website. We hope you find the information you are looking for about our community, our organization, or about our department's activities as you peruse our site. We look forward to serving you whenever you should call. Whether it’s in a time of emergency or for routine business, we are here to assist you.
The Lakeside Fire District serves the communities of Lakeside (92040) and much of the area of unincorporated El Cajon (92021). Our response area stretches from the Cleveland National Forest boundary in the east, to the cities of Santee and El Cajon in the west. We respond on interstate highways, other major thoroughfares and many rural and residential roads. We have brush-covered hillsides next to recreational lakes where jet skiing and fishing keep our residents and guests occupied. Light industry and retail keeps us going and we are also home to large building industry firms offering all kinds of specialized equipment for our region. In places, our rural environment finds stiff competition for parking spots between automobiles and horses equally. We enjoy our diverse way of life here and if you’re not a resident, we hope you visit our town to enjoy our well-known hospitality and friendly citizenry.
The Fire District is most proud of its employees. We are 61 men and women working together every day to meet the needs of our community. The community takes care of us too, with a voter-approved benefit fee used to tide us over with our always dwindling budgets. This year in particular, we are forecasting severe budget cuts, substantial service level reductions and sizable employee concessions in the near term future. This is troubling to say the least and I ask the District citizens, as I have asked our employees, for their patience and understanding as we work through these challenges together.
Another change that has recently occurred is one of leadership. I have been appointed as your Interim Fire Chief and have assumed responsibility for the decisions to cut the budget and reorganize the administration to become more efficient and responsive to our citizens. We will focus on providing the best Structural Fire Protection possible to the citizens of the Lakeside Fire Protection District. We will be accountable at every level, we will work safely, and we will celebrate our accomplishments.
We are also building a new fire station and administative center. With funding from the Upper San Diego River Improvement Project (RDA), our new facility will be built at the corner of Channel Rd. and Lakeside Ave. Our project plans are available on this website for our residents to see (and for those who wish to help build our new facilities to get necessary information also).
Lakeside truly is a Friendly Place to Live! If you’re just visiting, you’re welcome here. If you’re from Lakeside, welcome home.
Andy Parr, Fire Chief
619.390.2365
aparr@lakesidefire.com