El Segundo, CA (October 12, 2021) – The City of El Segundo is proud to announce the appointment of Deena Lee to serve as the permanent fire chief, effective November 2, 2021, following the retirement of Fire Chief Chris Donovan.  Chief Lee is a twenty-year fire service veteran and will be the South Bay region’s first female fire chief.  She will also be the only female fire chief in the broader Ventura/Los Angeles/Orange tri-county coastal area.

“Chief Lee is a dedicated public safety professional who has earned the opportunity to lead the El Segundo Fire Department at this important juncture. She is an outstanding role model, especially for young women contemplating a career in public safety,” said City Manager Scott Mitnick.

“Drive, hard work, and dedication to helping people has led me to the position of fire chief,” shares Deena Lee. "I follow an 'if you see it, you can be it' philosophy. I want to empower and inspire girls and women to pursue leadership positions."    

Chief Lee began her career in the fire service as a volunteer firefighter for the City of La Habra Heights.  She then joined the City of La Verne Fire Department as an apprentice firefighter. She promoted through the ranks and worked as a fire captain for several years. There she gained experience as a supervisor and had the opportunity to respond to multiple wildland fires. Chief Lee joined the El Segundo Fire Department in 2003 as a firefighter and was promoted to fire captain in 2007 and battalion chief in 2019. Lee was appointed to acting fire chief July 6, 2021. 

In addition to being a front-line supervisor and responding to emergency calls for service, she has held the responsibilities of safety equipment officer, platoon training officer, REMS coordinator, wildland instructor and facilities lead. As battalion chief she supervised operations on the “B” platoon and her leadership assignments included health & safety officer, operations & training chief, administration of emergency medical services and urban search & rescue program.

Chief Lee has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University and has certifications for Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer, Chief Fire Officer, Urban Search and Rescue and more than 100 other fire service certifications. She is a certified instructor with the California State Fire Marshal and has worked as an instructor for El Camino Fire Academy for more than 15 years.

Chief Lee is committed to community engagement and has volunteered at the El Segundo Library, participated in the ESMoA Living Library, and presented to the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. She volunteers with the non-profit organization Women’s Fire Alliance and is dedicated to mentoring young women and being a positive role model in the community.

                                                               ###

Contact:
Barbara Voss
Deputy City Manager
(310) 524-2389
bvoss@elsegundo.org