Agency: USDA Forest Service
Home Unit: San Bernardino NF, Cajon RD
Prior to the 1930s, wildland firefighting crews were organized on an "as-needed" basis, hiring firefighters without any formal experience or training.The Civilian Conservation Corps, which operated from 1933 until 1942, was a work relief program that employed young men primarily in natural resource conservation projects.
However, CCC members were also utilized for fire suppression operations, marking the first time that standing crews had been established for this purpose. At least one of the first crews carrying the name "hotshots" grew out of a former CCC camp in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California
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 Foreman for a total of thirty-two
personnel, and several support personnel, i.e. cooks and camp help. The crew adopted its name form the small community that lies below the work center and Del Rosa Boulevard that leads to the Hotshot 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 Inter-regional 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.
Throughout the years the Del Rosa Hotshots have been configured in many different ways and at one point there were 3 different crews with 20 men each. Today the crew is between 18 to 21 personnel, with a Superintendent, 2 Captains (Foremen), 2 Squad Bosses, 4 Senior Firefighters, and 9 to 11 seasonal positions that are filled with temporary seasonal or apprentice employees.
The following are those who have severed as the 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)
Frank Esposito (Detailed 2005)
Jim Tomaselli 2005 - 2013
Neil Gamboa 2013 - 2018
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.
Duty - Respect - Integrity
Home Unit: San Bernardino NF, Cajon RD
Prior to the 1930s, wildland firefighting crews were organized on an "as-needed" basis, hiring firefighters without any formal experience or training.The Civilian Conservation Corps, which operated from 1933 until 1942, was a work relief program that employed young men primarily in natural resource conservation projects.
However, CCC members were also utilized for fire suppression operations, marking the first time that standing crews had been established for this purpose. At least one of the first crews carrying the name "hotshots" grew out of a former CCC camp in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California
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 Foreman for a total of thirty-two
personnel, and several support personnel, i.e. cooks and camp help. The crew adopted its name form the small community that lies below the work center and Del Rosa Boulevard that leads to the Hotshot 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 Inter-regional 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.
Throughout the years the Del Rosa Hotshots have been configured in many different ways and at one point there were 3 different crews with 20 men each. Today the crew is between 18 to 21 personnel, with a Superintendent, 2 Captains (Foremen), 2 Squad Bosses, 4 Senior Firefighters, and 9 to 11 seasonal positions that are filled with temporary seasonal or apprentice employees.
The following are those who have severed as the 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)
Frank Esposito (Detailed 2005)
Jim Tomaselli 2005 - 2013
Neil Gamboa 2013 - 2018
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.
Duty - Respect - Integrity
