The City of Menifee welcomes Lonny Olson as the new Division Chief for CAL FIRE and Bill Lawe as Battalion Chief for Riverside County Fire Department’s Battalion 13.
“We are pleased to have fire service veterans like Lonny Olson and Bill Lawe leading operations to protect and serve Menifee’s residents and businesses,” Mayor Bill Zimmerman said. “Given their local experience, extensive knowledge and exceptional talent, we are in good hands.”
Lonny Olson began his fire service career in 1995 as a Volunteer Firefighter in Riverside County, assigned to Menifee Fire Station #68. In 1996, Lonny gained employment with the USFS working as a Seasonal Firefighter on both the Sequoia and Cleveland National Forests. In June 1998, he was hired as a seasonal for CDF in RRU. Lonny worked both Schedule A and B programs until being promoted to a Firefighter II in La Quinta in 2001.
Lonny has worked as a Paramedic Firefighter II in the Cities of Indio and Lake Elsinore. In 2004, Lonny promoted to a Fire Apparatus Engineer Paramedic working in the Temecula and San Jacinto Battalions.
In September of 2009, he was promoted to Fire Captain in the Perris Emergency Command Center where he spent the next 4 years. Lonny transferred to Station #10, Elsinore, in July of 2013 where he was assigned as a Schedule B Fire Captain. In 2018, Lonny transferred to Station #76, Menifee Lakes.
In September of 2018, Lonny was promoted to the Lake Elsinore Battalion Chief- Battalion 2. In December of 2019, Lonny transferred to the Battalion Chief position in The Perris Emergency Command Center. Lonny has been married to his wife Mindy for 19 years and they share two children, Hailey and Aubrey.
Bill Lawe began his fire service career in 1991 as a Volunteer Firefighter in Riverside County, assigned to Temecula Fire Station #12. In 1992, Bill gained employment with CAL FIRE working as a Seasonal Firefighter in the Riverside unit.
Bill was hired as a Firefighter II in the Riverside unit in 1997, working in the cities of Moreno Valley, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. In 2001 Bill promoted to the position of Fire Apparatus Engineer, working the cities of Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Lake Elsinore.
In September of 2008, Bill was promoted to Fire Captain in the Menifee Battalion assigned to the Menifee Lakes station where he spent the next 7 years. In 2015 Bill transferred to the Fire Captain position in the Strategic Planning Division.
In February of 2016, Bill promoted to the rank of Limited Term Battalion Chief Serving the Mountain battalion and Hemet battalion, until February 2018. In February Bill returned to the position of Fire Captain in strategic planning until April 2019 when he promoted to the permanent position of