Alexander named chief for San Manuel Fire Department

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has appointed Keith Alexander as the Chief for the San Manuel Fire Department effective October 31, 2022. Alexander will be responsible for all day-to-day leadership and operations of the fire and EMS teams.

“Keith has been instrumental in building a world-class fire and emergency services team serving San Manuel Nation and the surrounding community,” said Michael Smith, Vice President of Emergency Services for San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “His leadership and expertise have led to exponential growth and development of the Tribe’s emergency services capabilities.”

Keith joined San Manuel as the Training and Education Coordinator in 2001 and was responsible for training employees of San Manuel and other organizations in fire, hazardous materials and public safety. Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility including Battalion Chief, Division Chief and most recently, Deputy Fire Chief. As Deputy Fire Chief, Keith supported the Fire Chief in all activities and operations within the Department, in whose absence he would serve as the on-duty supervisor.

Before joining San Manuel, Alexander spent 14 years as a firefighter and later as a fire apparatus engineer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).

Alexander attended Crafton Hills College in 1989 where he attained his Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter Academy and Fire Science education.  He most recently attended Claremont Graduate University – School of Politics & Economics where he completed both the Tribal Administration Certification Program and the advanced Applied Principals Program.