 |
Del Rosa Hotshots
Agency:
USDA Forest Service
Home Unit:
San Bernardino NF, Front Country RD
|
Established 1946
Crew Contact Information:
Del Rosa Hotshots
Front Country Ranger District
4121 Quail Canyon
San Bernardino, CA 92404
909-383-5567
In 1945 the C.C.C.
Civilian Conservation Corps were stationed at the Del Rosa work center,
at this camp were many crews working at various projects through out the
greater San Bernardino area, one of the many tasks assigned to the camp
was fire suppression duties, in 1946 the fire suppression crew was
renamed the Del Rosa Hot Shots and was administered by the forest, the
crew has been in the same location since it was formed.
The Spanish name Del Rosa
translated in English means (THE ROSE).
Originally the crew was
made up of two separate crews consisting of 15 people each, one
Superintendent, one Assistant Superintendent and two Crew Forman for a
total of thirty-two personnel, and several support personnel, i.e. Cooks
and camp help.
The crew adopted it’s
name form the small community that lies below the work center and Del
Rosa Boulevard that leads to the Hot Shot camp from Hwy 30 to the west,
the work center is now considered to be in the city limits of San
Bernardino.
In the mid 1960’s the Del
Rosa Hotshots became one of three Interregional Hotshot crews in R-5,
this status allowed them to travel to other regions with in the U.S.,
for fire assignments.
At one time the crew had
assigned to them their own airplane that was used for transportation to
out of region assignments, as well as a 250 gal. pumper that they
staffed out of the Del Rosa work center for initial attack on forest.
The following are those
that have severed as Superintendents of the Del Rosa Hotshots since it’s
beginning in 1946.
CREW SUPERINTENDENTS
Toby Ortega? 1946-1949
George McCarty 1949-1950
Gordon Bosteder 1950-1954
Mike Roberts 1954-1957
Ernie Lemelin 1957-1960
Don Mc Cormack 1960-1962
Gerry Ewart 1962-1965
Bob Robbins
Eldon Henry
Kenny Tortez 1966-1976
Gary Lange 1976-1977
Ron Regan 1978-1997 (retired in place)
Scott Wagner 1997-1998 (detailed in 97-became the
Supt in 1998)
Jeff Koenig 1999-2004 (detailed in 99-became
the Supt in 2000)
Jim Tomaselli (Current)
Additional information sent
to us from Jerry Horine:
Toby Ortega was also
supt. Between Gerry Ewart and Bob Robbins in the 60s, as I was a crew
foreman under all of them. Joe Cruz was my squad boss during that
time. Also the movie Crew Boss was made during that time using the Del
Rosa crew as the subject of the movie. A professional actor was
used as the crew boss.
I have many old
pictures of the crew during the 60s if anyone is interested.
928-718-1826
Jerry
Horine, Retired
