Donald Bender

Donald BenderOfficerLoma Linda University Medical Center11161 Anderson Street, Suite 200Loma Linda, CA 92354Tel: +1 909 558-4917Fax: +1 909 558-4164

His father, Don Bender, worked at Loma Linda University and served 37 years as a paid-call firefighter.

Bender graduated from Loma Linda Academy in 1987 and went to work as a paid-call Loma Linda firefighter while taking classes at the university.

After receiving a nursing degree in 1991, Bender studied firefighting at Crafton Hills College.He left Loma Linda in 1998 to take a firefighting job in Colton.In 2005, he returned to Loma Linda as a captain.

With most senior management positions in the department vacant, Halloway announced six months ago that Bender would be the deputy chief and asked Colton Fire Chief Tom Hendrix to serve as a mentor.
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Bender's management style, according to Battalion Chief Jones, "is to be involved.He likes to know what's going on.But more importantly, he lets the crews do what they know how to do."

Bender has spent much of his time so far sorting through job candidates and rewriting policies, many of which had been drafted for a volunteer force.

The new hires have come from other departments, reversing the talent flow, he said.